Production has yet to begin, but
Despite opposition from environmentalists and rights activists, the French energy giant is pushing ahead with its Tilenga drilling project in
The
Alleged rights abuses
But environmentalists say the project is already severely impacting wildlife and the fragile ecosystem in the park, just a year after drilling began and before production gets underway next year.
A report from the
"It has been devastating," AFIEGO conservationist Diana Nabiruma told French news agency AFP in a recent interview.
AFIEGO was among NGOs and individual Ugandans who last year sued
Maintaining that over 120,000 people had been displaced by the projects in
In a statement to AFP,
It insisted that many with land along the pipeline route would "be able to use it after the works", adding that 775 households "will be rehoused in the vicinity and in better conditions".
Disruption to wildlife
Meanwhile AFIEGO's report, which relied on satellite image analysis and interviews with locals, tour guides, civil society actors and biodiversity experts, documented serious environmental issues.
It found that vibrations from the drilling rig were chasing elephants into surrounding communities, where they were destroying croplands and increasingly running into humans.
At least five people had been killed in such encounters since last year, it said.
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Accept Manage my choices The report also said lights mounted on the rig, which could be seen across nearly 14 kilometres, were negatively affecting nocturnal and light-sensitive wildlife like leopards and lions.
More paved roads and motorised traffic in the park was also exposing wildlife to higher risks of poaching, accidents and noise and air pollution, AFIEGO warned.
It said its contracting partner had been tasked with observing the impact of the project on elephants in particular, and had seen "no significant change in elephant movement patterns".
And it said that "warm" and inward-facing lighting had been mounted on the rig to limit light pollution.
Overall, it insisted, the projects aim to provide "a net gain for biodiversity and communities" and "will open up economic opportunities for the local population".
'Indebting' Ugandans
AFIEGO's Nabiruma flatly rejected that.
"These oil activities are indebting the Ugandan population forever," she said, urging
Campaign groups suggest
"Ugandans shouldn't be burdened with biodiversity loss, with grave human rights abuses and with environmental risks, just so that other countries can benefit from the oil in the country," Nabiruma said.
Funding should instead "flow towards renewables", she said, pointing to the huge potential for solar power, especially in
"It's not enough to only stop funding for bad projects. Funding must flow to the good projects."
(with AFP)
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