A civilian court case in
French petroleum giant
The company has said the development, which includes 400 wells, dozens of which fall inside the
On Wednesday, a French court began hearing a case brought against
"Total[Energies'] plans feature the world's longest pipeline and jeopardize the 2015 Paris climate accords and the very survival of humanity," said Louis Cofflard, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, during the one-day hearing in
"The project plunges numerous families into poverty -- we're demanding for it to be suspended immediately," he added.
First accountability law of its kind
The case is based on a 2017 French law, the first of its kind in the world.
According to the legislation, multinational companies with their headquarters in
If they fail to comply, parent companies risk having to pay damages and suspend their projects.
The company refutes those accusations.
"The plaintiffs have a maximalist view -- no vigilance roadmap will ever be able to satisfy their demands. And including too much information in the plans would be counterproductive,"
"Companies, not the judges, should decide which measures are needed," she added.
Displacement without compensation?
On the ground in
"The situation is not good at all," he told DW.
The 44-year-old, together with two siblings and his mother, used to cultivate cassava, corn and sweet potatoes on nine acres of land in the eastern village of Kasenyi, where preparative works for the project's central oil processing facility have started.
"In 2017, we opted for Total[Energies'] land-for-land scheme, as the money they were offering was not enough to acquire another equivalent plot," Byakagaba said. "But so far, we have not received any land in exchange, and I had to rent a one-acre area elsewhere to cultivate at least some vegetables."
Byakagaba explained that he struggles to provide enough food for his family and pay for his nine children's school fees.
"Plus, I've been suffering from muscle and bone pain but can't afford going to a specialized hospital," he said. "I have to go to a cheaper one for my check-ups."
Dickens Kamugisha, director of
"More than 100,000 people are being displaced and tens of thousands haven't received any compensation payments or new stretches of land," he told DW, adding that he fears this could be just the beginning.
"National parks and central forest reserves are under attack; lakes, rivers and wetlands will be affected," he said. "We are going to face much more problems."
The company writes that more than 700 households -- roughly 5,000 people -- have been offered land-for-land agreements. It also claims that its project will positively affect biodiversity, partly through the re-introduction of rhinoceros in some areas.
In court,
"The plaintiffs are obstinate to turn this into an emblematic case, but in the face of fury and noise,
"We should focus on what's essential -- that is, the judge's scope of competence," he added.
Case 'could set a precedent'
Kamalia Mehtiyeva, a law professor at the
"It's the first time that national judges in one country preside over a compensation case regarding potential harm done abroad based on the duty of vigilance -- this could set a precedent," she told DW.
"The law creates a real economic risk for multinationals, as their activities can be suspended if there's no adequate vigilance framework," Mehtiyeva added."Plus, judges can impose a daily penalty until the framework is updated."
For Afiego's Kamugisha, the court case is a beacon of hope.
The group is also involved with five cases in Ugandan courts to stop various parts of the oil and gas project. It has also brought the matter in front of the
"So far, we have not seen any justice in Ugandan and regional courts. That's why we decided to take this to
The
But a ruling in
"Through this court case, we are asking for a suspension of the Tilenga and Eacop works, as the oil drillings and pipeline buildings are imminent," she told DW. "But this legal case is only one tool in our fight, which goes further through national and international mobilization. We want Total[Energies] to abandon these projects."
Edited by
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