TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne has come out strongly defending the company’s operations in East Africa amid fresh allegations of human rights abuses linked to its oil projects. The response follows a statement from Michel Forst, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, who urged the French energy giant to urgently address reports of mistreatment targeting activists opposing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and associated oilfields.
Forst’s statement, released Thursday, highlighted concerns over activists linked to the Kingfisher oil site in Uganda a key part of the pipeline project being subject to harassment and violations. The allegations were brought to light by a report from the non-profit Just Finance International, which prompted Union Investment to reconsider its association with TotalEnergies. Forst criticized the company for what he described as a pattern of dismissing the claims as “mere misconceptions” rather than taking concrete action to safeguard human rights defenders.
Under the Aarhus Convention, which protects public participation rights in environmental matters and applies to French companies like TotalEnergies, there is a legal obligation to ensure that individuals are not penalized or harassed for their environmental activism. Forst emphasized that this responsibility must be taken seriously, calling on the company to leverage its influence to prevent further abuses and support an independent investigation into the allegations.
In response, TotalEnergies reiterated its zero-tolerance policy for any threats or violence against peaceful human rights defenders. The company affirmed its cooperation with Ugandan authorities to ensure that due process is observed, detainees are treated humanely, and their rights respected while in custody. TotalEnergies also disclosed that its local security team monitors the welfare of those arrested and facilitates access for their legal representatives.
While TotalEnergies maintains that it respects human rights and works closely with local partners to uphold these standards, calls from the U.N. and investors for transparency and accountability signal ongoing scrutiny. The company faces increasing pressure to publicly disclose investigation findings and take decisive steps to address any identified shortcomings to protect activists linked to its East African projects.
