" Uganda’s Huge Fossil Fuel Venture Raises Fears of Environmental Damage"

For retired Anglican clergyman Reverend Fred Msimenta, the negative effects of his country‘s massive oil venture have begun to show early, and they are being manifested right in his backyard... He had to cut down the eucalyptus trees and sell them to traders before they had reached maturity to give way to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. His land was identified for compulsory acquisition as it lies right on the 30 metre-wide corridor along which the pipeline will run...

More than 20,000 people including landowners and “land users” will be affected by the whole enterprise, which will include six oil fields and 400 wells in 31 locations under Tilenga alone. Out of these, Total claims that no more ten will be drilled in the wildlife park...

Total is equally defending itself against claims of possible adverse environmental effects, saying that it will implement actions that “generate a positive net impact on biodiversity”. Total also says that it will only use less than one per cent of Murchison Park land for its activities. “The route of the EACOP pipeline has been designed to minimise its environmental impact. Careful attention was paid to watercourses, and “horizontal’ drilling will be used for the most sensitive case”. It said in a statement.