Agreement for the construction of an oil pipeline between Tanzania and Uganda
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his Tanzanian counterpart John Pombe Magufuli during a meeting.
Ikulu / Tanzania
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
It is a project feared by some for its consequences on tens of thousands of people that will have to be dislodged and its impact on the environment, but desired by Ugandan and Tanzanian leaders for its economic benefits.
This Sunday, September 13, the presidents of the two countries signed an agreement on the construction of an oil pipeline of more than 14,000 kilometers to transport oil extracted from the Lake Albert region.
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Tanzanian President John Magufuli speaks in particular of an agreement that will “
not only create jobs, but also promote regional cooperation and economic development in the areas crossed by the pipeline.
Specifically, the Tanzanian authorities estimate that 10,000 jobs will be created thanks to the construction of the pipeline.
Work will begin by the end of the year.
Ugandan Head of State Yoweri Museveni said he wanted to work “
quickly to launch this project
”.
The pipeline will link the deposits discovered in 2006 near Lake Albert in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, near the Kenyan border.
Consequences for populations and the environment
But many NGOs denounce the consequences of this project on the populations and the environment.
This is particularly the case of Oxfam which estimates that 14,000 households will lose their land due to the construction of the pipeline.
[#THREAD] The oil companies @Total and CNOOC are about to launch 30 years of oil exploitation in Uganda, which could have disastrous consequences on the populations & the environment
FIDH and @Oxfam publish 2 reports alerting on the risks 1/12 pic.twitter.com/MCN9Ibigkt
FIDH (@fidh_fr) September 10, 2020
According to Rashid Bunya, from the Ugandan human rights NGO FHRI, “
After nearly two decades of oil exploration, many communities fear the worst is yet to come.
"Associations also denounce the repercussions on"
extremely sensitive
"
ecosystems
.
Because the oil reserves extend over several national parks, and in particular that of Murchison Falls, the largest park in Uganda.
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Tanzania
Uganda
Oil
Energies
Environment
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