Oil industry threat taking shape: DRC and Ugandan governments join forces

On May 11, the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, Félix Tshisekedi and Yoweri Museveni, agreed on a transboundary cooperation to exploit natural resources, including oil. According to media reports, this explicitly includes the EACOP oil pipeline and a refinery already under construction in Uganda. The DRC is seeking to award more than 50 oil concessions across the country, some of them near the border with Uganda.

Environmental groups in both countries have long spoken out against this kind of cooperation. The Notre Terre Sans Pétrole (“Our Land Without Oil”, NTSP) and StopEACOP networks have issued a strong warning of serious consequences for fishing communities, water resources, and the ecosystems of the Albertine Graben.

The agreement could accelerate the expansion of the oil industry in a region already ravaged by conflict, poverty, and environmental damage. It would do so without adequate participation by local communities and without protection for cross-border ecosystems. 

The Tilenga drilling project linked to EACOP is already putting elephants and Rothschild’s giraffes in Murchison Falls National Park at risk. Fish and waterbirds are also threatened by the Kingfisher drilling project on the shores of Lake Albert. The habitat of many primates, including gorillas and chimpanzees, is in danger.

Notre Terre Sans Pétrole and StopEACOP issued a statement calling on the governments of the DRC and Uganda to:

• ensure transparent, inclusive and participatory discussions on the management of natural resources in the Albertine Graben, with meaningful consideration of the demands and concerns of local communities
• suspend any new transboundary oil expansion in the Albertine Graben region until sufficient environmental, social and democratic safeguards are established
• conduct and publicly disclose an independent assessment of the environmental, social and climate impacts of the Tilenga, Kingfisher and EACOP projects, alongside concrete guarantees for the protection of affected communities and ecosystems
• guarantee effective consultation of affected communities, in line with the principles of free, prior and informed consent, as well as respect for the rights of citizens and civil society to participate in decisions affecting their territories and livelihoods.

Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and the Semliki River must not become sacrifice zones for the fossil fuel industry.

Rainforest Rescue has been working with with members of NTSP and StopEACOP for years. The aim of our partnership is to prevent the awarding of oil concessions in the DRC and stop the construction of EACOP. We have repeatedly supported environmental defenders who were imprisoned for speaking out on these issues.