The development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), in Uganda has increasingly continued to attract national and international scrutiny, not just for its economic significance but also for its social and environmental implications. Recent protests led by student climate activists under the #StopEACOP movement have renewed public discourse around the balance between fossil fuel infrastructure and the country’s climate resilience commitments.
The EACOP project, which has been under development since 2017, is a 1,443-kilometre pipeline that will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Lake Albert region to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. It is a multinational venture, jointly owned by Total Energies, the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The pipeline will be electrically heated—an unusual and costly feature necessitated by the waxy nature of the oil.
While the Ugandan government views the pipeline as a cornerstone of its economic development strategy, particularly for export earnings and employment, a growing number of civil society groups and environmental advocates have expressed concern over its long-term impacts. These include potential environmental degradation, displacement of communities, and its alignment with global climate targets.
Student-led demonstrations against the pipeline have occurred intermittently over recent years. Protestors say the project contradicts Uganda’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and could undermine the country’s environmental sustainability. However, such protests have often met resistance from authorities, with police arresting demonstrators and citing laws that restrict public assembly. Government officials have also dismissed some of the protests as being externally funded and politically motivated.
Despite these challenges, local environmental voices say the growing civic engagement reflects a deeper awareness of climate-related risks and a broader shift in public accountability.
“Whether one agrees with the protest methods or not, the concerns being raised around EACOP are valid,” says Newton Balenzi, an environmentalist based in Kampala. “This is sparking needed conversations about our national priorities, the environment, and the kind of development we want to pursue.”
The project has become a focal point for both local and global actors focused on climate justice. Reports by Human Rights Watch and other organisations have flagged issues such as human rights violations, limited transparency in the resettlement of affected communities, and environmental assessments that may not fully account for the long-term risks. Additionally, legal provisions in Uganda’s 2016 NGO Act have been used to suspend some environmental and human rights organisations, raising further concerns about civic space.
Broader developments across Africa suggest that Uganda’s case is part of a wider trend. A growing number of African countries are seeing climate-related activism transform into institutional and legal action. In May 2025, the Pan African Lawyers Union submitted a landmark petition to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, seeking an advisory opinion on the obligations of African states to protect human rights in the face of climate change. The case could influence how environmental harm is addressed across jurisdictions on the continent.
At the grassroots level, new initiatives are being implemented to promote awareness and accountability. A recent example is the Pulitzer Center’s microgrant program, which supported seven community-led projects in countries like Benin, Ghana, and Malawi. These initiatives aim to localize the conversation on climate change through media, education, and participatory governance.
In Nigeria, over 40 civil society organizations launched the Climate Justice Movement in early 2025, with one of their major campaigns—the Polluters Pay Pact—calling for corporate accountability in the Niger Delta, where oil pollution has had long-term consequences on communities and ecosystems. Legal proceedings have been initiated to seek redress for historical and ongoing damage.
African nations are also engaging in global climate accountability processes. Several countries are participating in proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), aiming to clarify the responsibilities of high-emission countries in addressing climate damage. While advisory in nature, these processes reflect an increasingly assertive stance by African governments and legal institutions on climate-related obligations.
Within individual countries, environmental courts and regulatory reforms are becoming more commonplace. Kenya has operationalized a dedicated Environment and Land Court, while South Africa’s Green Scorpions and Nigeria’s NESREA are pursuing environmental compliance through enforcement mechanisms.
These examples point to a multi-level approach to climate justice in Africa, one that integrates legal tools, civic participation, and policy reforms. The framing of environmental degradation as a human rights issue—linking climate impacts to access land, water, and livelihoods—is gaining traction as a central argument in both national and international forums.
The Uganda case remains a complex test of how governments, businesses, and civil society balance development goals with climate commitments. As construction on EACOP continues, the debate is likely to intensify, especially as communities along the pipeline route continue to voice concerns.
Looking forward, Uganda’s experience with EACOP may serve as a reference point for other African countries grappling with similar tensions between extractive development and environmental sustainability. As countries across the continent continue to define their climate governance frameworks, the importance of inclusive dialogue, transparent decision-making, and respect for civic space cannot be overstated.
Whether through courtrooms, public protests, or policy reforms, Africa’s climate justice movement is becoming more organized and more strategic. The key challenge now is ensuring that development projects are both economically beneficial and environmentally responsible—a goal that many across Uganda, and indeed the continent, believe is not only possible but essential.
