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Court Dismisses Legal Challenge Against East African Oil Pipeline

A five-year legal challenge against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has been dismissed by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). The court's Appellate Division upheld a prior ruling from the First Instance Division, ending the case on the grounds that the civil society organisations (CSOs) who brought the suit filed it outside the 60-day time limit stipulated by the East African Community Treaty. The case was originally filed in November 2020, and the appeal against the initial dismissal was heard in November 2024 and February 2025 before the final ruling was announced.

Details of the Pipeline Project

The EACOP is a 1,445-kilometre pipeline scheduled to begin operations in 2026. It is designed to transport up to 210,000 barrels of oil per day from fields in Uganda, operated by TotalEnergies and CNOOC International, to the Tanga port in Tanzania. The project's owners include TotalEnergies, CNOOC International, and the state oil companies of Tanzania and Uganda, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the Uganda National Oil Company.

The Plaintiffs and Their Objectives

The lawsuit was filed by four regional civil society organisations: Natural Justice, the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (Afiego), the Center for Food & Adequate Living Rights, and the Centre for Strategic Litigation. They filed the case against the governments of Uganda and Tanzania and the Secretary General of the East African Community. The CSOs sought to halt the pipeline's impacts and risks to human rights, the environment, and the climate. Their specific legal goals were to obtain a permanent injunction to stop construction in protected areas in Uganda and Tanzania and to secure compensation for all project-affected persons for losses incurred due to land-use restrictions imposed by the developers.

Reactions to the Ruling

The ruling has been met with strong disappointment from the involved organisations and affected individuals. Natural Justice described the decision as "disappointing" and stated they would consult with affected communities to determine their next steps. The CEO of Afiego, Dickens Kamugisha, called the ruling a "setback for regional justice" and a "travesty," but affirmed a continued commitment to protecting people and nature. Elizabeth Kariuki of Natural Justice echoed this sentiment, stating the ruling is "devastating" for affected people but vowing to continue the fight. A project-affected person in Uganda, Cosmas Yiga, expressed a loss of hope, stating that ordinary Ugandans should not expect any good from the oil industry and calling the day of the ruling "a sad day."