Civil society actors condemn human rights violations within CNOOC operated Kingfisher area
Following the burning of fishing boats, around 19 community members were arrested according to local testimonies, some of them for more than 48 hours beyond the legally mandated period.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in its pursuit of developing Uganda’s oil and gas potential has been operating the Kingfisher Development Area along the shores of Lake Albert since 2013.
However, local communities have in the time reported rising deployment and activity of Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers to guard CNOOC’s installations and operations.
On the evening of January 16, 2024, soldiers from the UPDF burned 15 fishing boats, fishing nets, and other important instruments vital to the livelihoods of local villagers in Kingfisher Development Area.
The boats and supplies supported up to 60 families, according to the Civil Society Coalition for Sustainable Development, a group of Ugandan environmental and human rights civil society organizations.
This unprecedented act of large-scale destruction ripped hundreds of villagers from their primary means of livelihood overnight, and signals an alarming escalation in the ongoing military deployment around the Kingfisher installations.
Following the burning of fishing boats, around 19 community members were arrested according to local testimonies, some of them for more than 48 hours beyond the legally mandated period.
If seen near the lake, villagers have been beaten or apprehended. Military forces have also arbitrarily seized several fishing boats from the community without notice or explanation, the NGO said, quoting the affected residents.
“They came promising us heaven and earth, but they have delivered nothing. Now, they harass us for the oil they found here,” members of the Kingfisher community speak anonymously for fear of their and the community’s safety explains that the affected community have aired their concerns regarding recent developments but this has only led to further reprisals on the impoverished community robbed of their primary means of survival.
“Our people endure beatings, arrests and burnt boats. How can we survive? Our businesses collapsed during Covid. As we try to recover, CNOOC’s operations destroy our only hope…they must learn to respect the people they found here.”
