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The proposed pipeline will be 1,443 km long (Image: EACOP)

East African Legislative Assembly

members defend EACOP project

UGANDA/TANZANIA SEVERAL members of the East African Legis- to deprive Uganda and Tanzania of the oppor-
lative Assembly (EALA) have spoken in favour tunity to develop a new revenue stream that
of a controversial oil pipeline planned in Uganda would support economic growth. “What this
and Tanzania, arguing that the EU had no stand- criticism of the pipeline essentially means is
ing to call for the suspension of a project that is that we should maintain the status quo so that
not being carried out on European territory. those who are already producing continue to
Speaking during an EALA session in Kigali, produce and the rest of us who are poor but
Manasseh Nshuti, Rwanda’s Minister of State have the resources continue to remain poor,” he
in charge of East African Community (EAC) commented.
affairs, spoke critically about the European Habib Mnyaa, an EALA member from Tan-
Parliament’s adoption in September of an zania, also stressed that the EACOP host nations
emergency resolution condemning the East were trying to shed their reliance on foreign aid
Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and related and stated that both host states would seek to
projects. reduce the emissions intensity of the pipeline
He stressed that Uganda and Tanzania, project via carbon capture and use solutions
which had agreed to host EACOP, were both (CCUS). “We are always trying to find means
sovereign states. “When you talk about [the] to be independent, not dependent,” he said. “In
European Parliament, it is as if we owe our lives many accounts, we see that we rely on donor
to them. I don’t think we do,” he was quoted as funding. Carbon dioxide today in this modern
saying by The East African. world is used in many things, including process-
He also suggested that Africa find a better ing fertilisers.”
method of communicating its own positions The EALA members were speaking shortly
to EU institutions, saying: “We need to have a after the kick-off of the COP27 international
stronger say, maybe continentally, to work in climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The
co-ordination.” UN-sponsored event has drawn attention to
Suzan Nakuwuki, an EALA member from EACOP and the Lake Albert Development Pro-
Uganda, also stressed the sovereignty of the ject (LADP), which envisions the development
countries taking part in EACOP but struck a of the Ugandan oilfields that will be used to fill
more confrontational note. “The EU parlia- the 1,443-km pipeline.
ment is over-legislating,” she said. “What they Ugandan Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa
should do is go back [the] to EU and focus on said last week that Kampala expects those fields
the [issues] that affect the people of the Euro- to start production in April 2025. She also indi-
pean Union.” cated that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu
Meanwhile, George Odongo, an EALA Hassan was expected to visit China in the near
member from South Sudan, argued that the future to discuss options for funding the $4bn
EU’s desire to shelve EACOP had the potential EACOP project. ™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 45 10•November•2022