The Fort Worth Press - French court dismisses case against TotalEnergies E. Africa oil project 

USD -
AED 3.67295
AFN 69.341529
ALL 89.034836
AMD 387.423953
ANG 1.803813
AOA 928.49797
ARS 962.745803
AUD 1.465765
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.686299
BAM 1.752415
BBD 2.020823
BDT 119.608265
BGN 1.760945
BHD 0.37684
BIF 2901.136119
BMD 1
BND 1.29238
BOB 6.916171
BRL 5.425803
BSD 1.000914
BTN 83.716457
BWP 13.169307
BYN 3.275482
BYR 19600
BZD 2.017409
CAD 1.355702
CDF 2871.000223
CHF 0.846085
CLF 0.033735
CLP 930.859883
CNY 7.043805
CNH 7.04009
COP 4165.25
CRC 518.478699
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 98.795796
CZK 22.463202
DJF 178.230951
DKK 6.6777
DOP 60.08153
DZD 132.218671
EGP 48.522978
ERN 15
ETB 115.187488
EUR 0.895195
FJD 2.19785
FKP 0.761559
GBP 0.75097
GEL 2.730499
GGP 0.761559
GHS 15.764174
GIP 0.761559
GMD 68.50286
GNF 8648.20307
GTQ 7.736831
GYD 209.357752
HKD 7.789925
HNL 24.828192
HRK 6.799011
HTG 131.899147
HUF 352.875009
IDR 15091.75
ILS 3.754425
IMP 0.761559
INR 83.499198
IQD 1311.118478
IRR 42092.497584
ISK 136.380292
JEP 0.761559
JMD 157.248201
JOD 0.708704
JPY 142.174497
KES 129.110039
KGS 84.275002
KHR 4062.396402
KMF 441.350247
KPW 899.999433
KRW 1329.69499
KWD 0.30483
KYD 0.834087
KZT 479.369574
LAK 22100.764289
LBP 89627.804458
LKR 304.66727
LRD 200.173823
LSL 17.438602
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.767579
MAD 9.706293
MDL 17.46575
MGA 4509.533367
MKD 55.207111
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999955
MOP 8.03489
MRU 39.619734
MUR 45.880376
MVR 15.35985
MWK 1735.530896
MXN 19.29877
MYR 4.181998
MZN 63.850036
NAD 17.438602
NGN 1639.929757
NIO 36.834607
NOK 10.478879
NPR 133.938987
NZD 1.59928
OMR 0.384957
PAB 1.000914
PEN 3.75751
PGK 3.973765
PHP 55.437973
PKR 278.366694
PLN 3.826945
PYG 7813.059996
QAR 3.648899
RON 4.452967
RSD 104.815027
RUB 92.599635
RWF 1347.932048
SAR 3.752598
SBD 8.306937
SCR 13.337979
SDG 601.500967
SEK 10.15303
SGD 1.288698
SHP 0.761559
SLE 22.847303
SLL 20969.494858
SOS 572.007132
SRD 29.853
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.757515
SYP 2512.529936
SZL 17.425274
THB 33.0735
TJS 10.639297
TMT 3.5
TND 3.031476
TOP 2.342097
TRY 34.083801
TTD 6.803337
TWD 31.931013
TZS 2723.701993
UAH 41.476059
UGX 3716.579457
UYU 41.116756
UZS 12750.992321
VEF 3622552.534434
VES 36.755452
VND 24540
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.797463
XAF 587.732958
XAG 0.032076
XAU 0.000385
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.741793
XOF 587.732958
XPF 106.857097
YER 250.324975
ZAR 17.49145
ZMK 9001.200733
ZMW 26.047299
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    60.5000

    60.5

    +100%

  • CMSD

    0.0300

    25.01

    +0.12%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0200

    6.93

    -0.29%

  • CMSC

    0.0650

    25.12

    +0.26%

  • RIO

    2.2700

    65.18

    +3.48%

  • NGG

    -1.2200

    68.83

    -1.77%

  • VOD

    -0.1700

    10.06

    -1.69%

  • SCS

    -0.8000

    13.31

    -6.01%

  • GSK

    -0.8100

    41.62

    -1.95%

  • AZN

    0.3200

    78.9

    +0.41%

  • RELX

    0.7600

    48.13

    +1.58%

  • BCC

    7.6300

    144.69

    +5.27%

  • BTI

    -0.3100

    37.57

    -0.83%

  • BCE

    -0.4200

    35.19

    -1.19%

  • BP

    0.3300

    32.76

    +1.01%

  • JRI

    -0.0400

    13.4

    -0.3%

French court dismisses case against TotalEnergies E. Africa oil project 
French court dismisses case against TotalEnergies E. Africa oil project  / Photo: © AFP

French court dismisses case against TotalEnergies E. Africa oil project 

A French court on Tuesday dismissed a landmark case against TotalEnergies for a massive oil project in Uganda and Tanzania after several NGOs filed a suit to suspend the controversial project.

Text size:

It was the first case of its kind in France, and activists had hoped it would set a legal precedent to halt projects deemed harmful to the environment and human rights.

Six NGOs that filed the suit argued the development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) failed to adhere to a "duty of vigilance", a 2017 law that compels companies to avoid grave harm to human rights, health, safety and the environment.

The court on Tuesday ruled the case was "inadmissible", saying the plaintiffs did not correctly follow court procedures against the French energy giant.

It said the plaintiffs submitted accounts to the court in December that were "substantially different" from those that were presented to TotalEnergies in a formal notice in 2019 when the case was initiated.

The suit was brought by two French and four Ugandan NGOs, which accused TotalEnergies of taking land from more than 100,000 people without adequate compensation.

They also said the company drilled wells in the biodiversity-rich Murchison Falls National Park on the shores of Lake Albert.

Friends of the Earth and Survival, the two French NGOs, and the Ugandan groups denied having substantially modified their submissions to the court.

They "only clarified them and consolidated their arguments with more than 200 documents of supporting evidence", said Juliette Renaud, a campaigner with Friends of the Earth.

The plaintiffs, which can appeal the decision, said they would speak to "the affected communities" about next steps, Renaud added.

- Economic boon -

The $10 billion oilfields and pipeline project has been hailed as an economic boon for Uganda and Tanzania, where many live in poverty, while being strongly opposed by environmentalists.

The project is being jointly developed by TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), along with the state-owned Uganda National Oil Company.

The 1,443-kilometre (900-mile) pipeline will transport crude from vast oilfields being developed in Lake Albert in northwestern Uganda to a Tanzanian port on the Indian Ocean.

Lake Albert, a natural border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, lies atop an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude, of which about 1.4 billion barrels are currently considered recoverable.

Tanzanian Energy Minister January Makamba this month rejected the environmental and rights concerns as "propaganda", saying the country complied with environmental, safety and human rights standards.

Tuesday's ruling in France is the first instance of the "duty of vigilance" being tested in a courtroom.

Several legal proceedings for failure to comply with the "duty of vigilance" are underway against other French companies, including Casino, Suez, Yves Rocher and BNP Paribas.

C.Dean--TFWP