The French court has dismissed a legal case against TotalEnergies regarding their oil project in Uganda and Tanzania that several NGOs had initiated.
The plaintiffs, comprised of six non-governmental organizations, contended that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project violated the “duty of vigilance,” a law passed in 2017 that obligates companies to avoid severe harm to the environment, health, safety, and human rights.
The six non-governmental organizations had accused TotalEnergies of taking land from over 100,000 people without proper compensation and drilling wells in the Murchison Falls National Park.
The court deemed the case due to the plaintiff’s failure to follow proper court procedures.
The French court found that the plaintiffs submitted accounts to the court in December that differed significantly from those presented to TotalEnergies in a formal notice in 2019 when the case began.
However, the NGOs denied substantially modifying their submissions and claimed they only clarified their arguments with over 200 supporting documents.
The plaintiffs plan to consult with affected communities and may appeal the court’s decision.
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