Skip to main content

Global protests call on China to reject destructive East African oil pipeline

By Abiud Onyach* 
Hundreds of environmental and community activists staged peaceful protests at the corporate headquarters of some Chinese banks and insurance firms, as well as Chinese embassies across Africa, Europe and North America today, demanding those institutions commit not to support further development of the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Actions have been organized by local civil society and community-based organizations working alongside people who have been or will be directly and indirectly impacted by EACOP and the associated upstream oil projects in Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They are taking place in Kampala (Uganda), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Kinshasa (DRC), with solidarity actions happening in Tshwane (South Africa), Paris (France), New York (USA) and London (UK). On Friday, 17th November, another action, led by the Ugandan Diaspora community, took place at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. (USA). Hundreds of people worldwide have also participated in online actions in parallel with the peaceful protests.
Affected people who oppose EACOP have turned their focus to China and Chinese financial institutions following reports that they are considering stepping in to back EACOP after numerous North American, European and Japanese banks and insurers have committed not to do so, citing climate, environmental and human rights concerns. StopEACOP and allied activists are urging China and Chinese firms not to be a “last resort” for a project with such a devastating social and environmental impact on Africa. Today’s actions are focused specifically on the state-owned China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE), the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim), and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), institutions that have been reported to be likely get involved with the pipeline project. Affected people and their allies have reached out to these firms and other Chinese banks in the past to alert them to their concerns about the project, but they have never received a response.
At each action, the groups set out to deliver petitions signed by thousands of directly impacted citizens opposed to the planned 1443 km heated pipeline. Other documents, including expert analysis outlining the environmental and socio-economic impacts of EACOP, were also prepared for delivery to the relevant entities. Unfortunately, officials from the Chinese Embassies in Uganda and South Africa refused to receive the documents, despite a prior commitment made by the Embassy in South Africa that they would come down to accept the aforementioned materials. In Kampala, seven activists were arbitrarily arrested and have now been detained at the Jinja Road Police Station. This forms part of the ongoing suppression of Ugandan citizens’ right to protest and the consistent brutalisation of activists who seek to assert their opposition to the harmful EACOP project.
If completed, the pipeline would extend from Hoima, Uganda, to Tanga, Tanzania. It is expected to transport oil from two oil fields in Western Uganda and may eventually connect to oil blocks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The controversial EACOP project threatens pristine ecosystems, biodiversity hotspots, water resources and community lands, and the project would lead to an estimated 379 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, contradicting global climate goals.
The day of action is part of escalating tactics to block EACOP, including lawsuits, shareholder advocacy, policy engagement and civil disobedience. In the lead-up to the COP28 summit, EACOP-affected people and their allies vowed not to stand by as the controversial pipeline locks the East Africa region into decades of expanded fossil fuel extraction that destroys biodiversity and local livelihoods.
StopEACOP Coordinator Zaki Mamdoo said, "Today, people stood united across borders to say this dangerous pipeline project must be stopped. We urge SINOSURE, China Exim Bank and the ICBC to listen to local communities and respect their rights, aspirations and agency. By refusing to provide insurance or financing for EACOP, these entities must prove that they are not simply interested in profiting at the expense of Africa’s wellbeing."
Richard Senkondo, Executive Director of Uganda's Organisation for Community Empowerment said, "This pipeline will destroy our land and water - our very way of life. It poses a grave threat to the environment and the well-being and rights of our communities. Any institution still committed to supporting this project is perpetrating injustice. We are united with allies around the world in our continued resistance against this harmful project. Instead of supporting such projects, we urge these Chinese institutions to be a true ally to the African continent by favouring the development of people-centred renewable energy to power Africa's future."
Brian Atuheire, Executive Director of the African Initiative on Food security and Environment​ - Uganda said, “Every time activists and communities stand up to peacefully oppose EACOP in Uganda, they are brutalised and arbitrarily arrested. Today, seven young activists have been detained for peacefully protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in Kampala. Despite the repression, we remain resolute and have drawn strength and courage from the incredible show of solidarity from comrades worldwide.”
***
About StopEACOP: #StopEACOP is a global campaign against constructing the East African Crude Oil pipeline (EACOP). This proposed 1,443-kilometer heated pipeline will transport oil from Hoima, Uganda, to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. An alliance of local groups, communities, and African and global organisations leads the campaign. The #StopEACOP Coalition has been calling for a stop to the proposed pipeline and associated oil fields at Tilenga and Kingfisher. The #StopEACOP campaign is gathering momentum, building pressure on the remaining supporters and financiers of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. AEGIS London, Arch Capital Group Ltd and Britam Holdings recently announced they would not offer the project insurance coverage. So far, 27 major banks and 23 major (re)insurers have ruled out support for the pipeline. Some key financial institutions yet to commit to not funding EACOP include ICBC and Standard Bank.
---
*Digital Communications, StopEACOP Campaign

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.
Post a Comment
»

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”
Post a Comment
»

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.
Post a Comment
»

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.
Post a Comment
»

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai*  The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.
Post a Comment
»

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan*  An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...
2 comments
»

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative   Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).
Post a Comment
»

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...
Post a Comment
»

50 years of the Port of Spain miracle: The chase that redefined Indian cricket

By Harsh Thakor*  Fifty years ago, India turned the tide to rewrite cricket history, rising from the depths of despair to a moment of enduring glory. Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, is celebrated among cricket grounds for its poetic beauty. For India, it became a theatre of historic triumph. In 1976, it showed the cricketing world what it was made of.
Post a Comment
»