The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has arrested activists marching to the Chinese Embassy in Kampala to deliver a protest letter against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline funding.

The activists say that the pipeline is a major affront to the environment and the social and cultural rights of the project-affected persons.

Civil Society Organisations fighting against pipeline lamented and lambasted the arrest on their social media platforms.

“Today morning, 8 Stop EACOP activists were brutally arrested as they delivered a CSO statement calling the Chinese entities not to finance EACOP. We call upon the authorities in Uganda to stop this harassment and intimidation of environmental activists,” the African Initiative on Food Security and Environment wrote.

Initiative for Green Planet Uganda said these arrests are unlawful; “Detaining environmental activists for peacefully protesting against EACOP is unlawful. We call upon the government authorities to unconditionally release the activists…”

Youth for Nature Conservancy also called on the Ugandan government to release “the innocent young environmental activists who were detained as they advocated for a better and clean environment without burning of fossils.”  

CSOs addressed the media on Saturday and called on the Chinese president to drop his interest in funding the EACOP pipeline after several banks and insurance companies had abandoned the Total-led project. In their document to Xi, the CSOs argued that the construction of the EACOP projects threatens the safety and livelihoods of millions and, through its inevitable exacerbation of the climate crisis, poses a major risk to the security and stability of the entire region and the world.

This is the second time the activists are marching to the Chinese Embassy. Last November, they marched to the embassy protesting the same. Some youth activists arrested are still on remand.