SEO Riders:
- – Activists call for TotalEnergies withdrawal from Africa
- – Communities target TotalEnergies over environmental and human rights abuses
- – Claims of greenwashing and intimidation spark continent-wide protests
Environmental and community campaigners across Africa are urging TotalEnergies to pull out from the continent, accusing the company of exploiting resources, harming ecosystems, and suppressing dissent. A series of protests—from petition deliveries in parliament to pickets at petrol stations—highlight mounting frustration with the oil giant’s projects, particularly the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and Mozambique’s LNG development. Activists say these ventures have triggered widespread displacement, land grabs, and repression of critics.
Key allegations include:
- – Human rights abuses and intimidation: An investigation by Global Witness detailed how TotalEnergies allegedly pressured communities in Uganda and Tanzania into signing low-value compensation deals, with collaboration—including foreknowledge—between the company and state authorities in intimidating environmental defenders.
- – Greenwashing through sports sponsorship: Greenpeace Africa criticized TotalEnergies’ sponsorship of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), branding it “sportswashing” to distract from its fossil fuel activities. Mohamed Adow condemned the arrangement as “a textbook case” of using money to sideline decarbonisation demands.
– Ecosystem and livelihood threats: Investigations have highlighted the EACOP project’s risks—pollution of Lake Victoria, mass displacements, and biodiversity loss—while TotalEnergies has faced legal and parliamentary resistance, including allegations of human rights and environmental violations in pipeline areas. These developments underscore growing momentum behind calls for more responsible energy investment in Africa.
