A group of Ugandan farmers is set to file a lawsuit on Tuesday in the UK High Court against the company operating the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
A group of Ugandan farmers is set to file a lawsuit on Tuesday in the UK High Court against the company operating the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), arguing that the $5.6 billion crude pipeline project breaches Uganda's constitution as well as the country's environmental and climate laws.
The case targets EACOP Ltd, the UK-registered company responsible for operating the pipeline. It comes just months before Uganda and Tanzania are expected to begin exporting crude oil through the project later this year.
The legal action has been crowdfunded through donations from more than 40,000 people, coordinated by global campaign group Avaaz, which describes the lawsuit as "one final chance to stop one of the worst oil pipelines on the planet."
The claim argues that the 1,443-kilometre (897-mile) pipeline will threaten water resources, wildlife, biodiversity and protected ecosystems while increasing climate-related risks. The farmers are asking the English court to enforce Uganda's constitutional and environmental protections against a company incorporated in England and Wales.
