Ugandan farmers launch UK legal case against oil pipeline

Four Ugandan farmers are set to launch a "first-of-its-kind" case in Britain on Tuesday against a $5.6 billion oil pipeline project led by French energy giant TotalEnergies, a rights NGO said.

Due to start operating in 2027, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will be the world's longest heated oil pipeline, transporting oil from landlocked Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.

Climate scientists and environmentalist groups have described the project as a "carbon bomb" that would unleash 379 million tonnes of climate-heating pollution over its 20-year lifetime.

The EACOP company is majority-owned by TotalEnergies, with participation from Uganda, Tanzania, and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, but is registered in Britain.

The Ugandan farmers say the project violates their country's climate, environmental and constitutional laws -- but because they face repression at home, they are suing in Britain.

"The case seeks remedies that could go to the heart of the project’s commercial viability, including an injunction to stop oil being transported through the pipeline," said Avaaz, a rights NGO supporting the case, in a statement.

It is thought to be the first time Ugandan environmental laws have been brought before a foreign court, the NGO said.

"EACOP has become a global test case for whether new fossil fuel megaprojects can still be forced through despite mounting legal, financial, climate and community opposition," it added.

Much of the oil will be drilled from wells in Uganda's largest and oldest national park, Murchison Falls, and there are fears of leaks from the pipeline that crosses fragile and highly biodiverse ecosystems and wildlife migration routes.

TotalEnergies says "strict measures have been taken to avoid, mitigate and offset" the impact on local environments, with efforts to restore vast areas of forest and wetlands and increase biodiversity in affected areas.

Ugandan opponents of the project say they have faced intimidation and arrest by police in the area, where the project is a political priority.

EACOP has faced multiple lawsuits in France, and a Paris court last week said TotalEnergies was liable for the emissions generated by its clients in a ruling hailed as a landmark decision for climate law.