Maxwell Atuhura, a member of AFIEGO, NAVODA, and the #StopEACOPAlliance and the Italian journalist Federica Marsi, were arrested on Tuesday 25 May 2021 in Buliisa, in the oil region of Uganda. They were about to meet with local community members to learn more about the impacts of Total's Tilenga oil project. They were reportedly taken to the police station without being given any reason for their arrests and allegedly threatened while interrogated. While the journalist was released later in the day, Maxwell Atuhura spent few days in custody.

Maxwell Atuhura has been relentlessly defending the rights of people affected by oil operations in the region for many years. His organization, AFIEGO, is actively involved in the lawsuit against Total in France, including by gathering evidence. Like many other human rights defenders who speak out about harms related to oil projects, Maxwell has faced repeated threats and intimidation. In the weeks proceeding his arrest, he received a large number of anonymous threatening phone calls. In addition, both his home in the oil region and his family’s home in the capital had been broken into, which led him to file a complaint at the Buliisa police station on Monday 24 May. Previously, Maxwell Atuhura had already received threats because of his human rights work.

In a public response, TotalEnergies said it was not involved in these arrests.