DRC - Uganda: NTSP and Stop EACOP raise concerns over new oil discussions in the Albertine Graben
Notre Terre Sans Petrole: Tel : +243979672109 E: contact@notreterresanspetrole.org
Stop EACOP: Tel : +254 700593687 E: info@stopeacop.net
Notre Terre Sans Petrole: Tel : +243979672109 E: contact@notreterresanspetrole.org
Stop EACOP: Tel : +254 700593687 E: info@stopeacop.net
Governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are discussing potentially major oil cooperation behind closed doors without public scrutiny.
The coalitions Notre Terre Sans Pétrole (NTSP) and Stop EACOP express their concern over the lack of transparency surrounding this emerging discussions on the transboundary oil cooperation in the Albertine Graben following the joint communiqué published by Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Yoweri Museveni on May 11, 2026, during the official visit of the Congolese Head of State to Uganda.
In point 6 of the communiqué, the two States indicated that they discussed the management of transboundary natural resources in the Albertine Graben, particularly around Lake Albert and Lake Edward, as well as joint projects in the energy sector.
These concerns are reinforced by statements made by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who indicated that President Félix Tshisekedi had proposed that the DRC participate in the oil infrastructure developed by Uganda. According to remarks reported by Actualite.cd, there is a shared oil deposit between the two countries, crossed by the border, and the DRC could take part in Uganda’s project, as Uganda has already developed an oil pipeline and is working on a refinery. For NTSP and Stop EACOP, such a direction would create the risk of a concrete shift toward oil exploitation in eastern DRC, with major consequences for fisherfolk communities, water resources and the ecosystems of the Albertine Graben.
However, neither government has publicly clarified the scope, timeline, environmental implications or affected communities linked to these discussions.
These discussions are therefore not merely technical exchanges. They could pave the way for the DRC’s integration into Uganda’s oil infrastructure and accelerate hydrocarbon exploitation in an already fragile region, without sufficient guarantees for local communities and transboundary ecosystems.
The Tilenga, Kingfisher and EACOP projects have already been linked to serious allegations of human rights violations, loss of livelihood and displacement of tens of thousands of people in Uganda and Tanzania. Several organisations have also raised concerns about their impacts on water resources and shared ecosystems across the Great Lakes region.
Representatives of Congolese fishing communities and civil society organisations have already filed a case before the East African Court of Justice to denounce the transboundary impacts of these projects on Lake Albert, the Semliki River, biodiversity and the livelihoods of riverside communities.
NTSP and Stop EACOP also denounce the lack of effective consultation with affected communities. The Congolese and Ugandan governments continue strategic discussions around the resources of the Albertine Graben without any independent assessment of the impacts or meaningful participation of affected populations, despite the transboundary implications for communities, fisheries, water systems and protected ecosystems.
“The Congolese and Ugandan governments cannot move forward with transboundary oil projects without transparency, without involving affected communities, and without clear guarantees for the protection of shared ecosystems,” said UWECHI MOISE, Provincial chair of the Federation of Committees and Associations of Fishers of Lake Albert (FECOPELA) and member of the NTSP coalition.
“Ugandan fishermen that work on Lake Albert are already experiencing impacts such as oil pollution of lagoons belonging to Lake Albert, poor disposal of waste that affects the lake and others. The impacts are being seen because of the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil project activities on the lake in Uganda. Fishmongers, especially women, are also suffering due to the influx of oil workers into the Lake Albert region. These are pushing women who sell fish out of business. Oil has been a curse to fisherfolk and we don’t want our governments to expand oil exploitation activities on the lake,” said Siifa Mwesige, a fishmonger operating on Lake Albert in Uganda.
“What is being negotiated here risks locking the region deeper into a model of de-development, where wealth is extracted from land and water and concentrated in the hands of oil companies and political elites, while working-class communities are left with displacement, lost livelihoods, pollution, repression and climate chaos. The governments of Uganda and the DRC cannot hide these discussions from the public. Communities have a right to know what is being decided about their lives and futures,” said Zaki Mamdoo, Coordinator of the StopEACOP Coalition.
The two coalitions call on the governments of the DRC and Uganda to:
- Ensure transparent, inclusive and participatory discussions on the management of natural resources in the Albertine Graben, with meaningful consideration of the demands and concerns of local communities.
- Suspend any new transboundary oil expansion in the Albertine Graben region until sufficient environmental, social and democratic safeguards are established.
- Conduct and publicly disclose an independent assessment of the environmental, social and climate impacts of the Tilenga, Kingfisher and EACOP projects, alongside concrete guarantees for the protection of affected communities and ecosystems.
- Guarantee effective consultation of affected communities, in line with the principles of free, prior and informed consent, as well as respect for the rights of citizens and civil society to participate in decisions affecting their territories and livelihoods.
Lake Albert, Lake Edward and the Semliki River must not become sacrifice zones for the fossil fuel industry.
