English  |  Français  |  Español
 
OMCT LogoOMCT logo
Make a donationRSSOMCT on FacebookOMCT on TwitterOMCT BlogHomeAbout OMCTActivitiesCATOMCT NetworkOMCT EuropeContactsMake a donation
  • Urgent campaigns
  • Assistance to victims
  • Human rights defenders
  • ESCR
  • Rights of the child
  • Violence against women
  • Monitoring protection mechanisms
 Save as PDF Print version
Human rights defenders / Urgent Interventions / Uganda / 2019 / December

Uganda: Two defenders who testified in the trial against Total are at risk in Uganda

Paris-Geneva, December 26, 2019 - The two Ugandan witnesses who testified in France on December 12 in the trial against Total for its activities in Uganda[1] now have clear reasons to fear for their lives, after further intimidation and threatening acts upon their return to Uganda and to their village. Friends of the Earth France, Survie and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a FIDH-OMCT partnership) express their deep concern for their physical and moral integrity and call for an immediate end to all forms of persecution.

 

Unknown men attempted to break into farmer Fred Mwesigwa's house late on the night of December 23 and again the following night, forcing through the metal doors and wooden structures of his house, which fortunately held. After their second failure, these men locked Fred Mwesigwa into his house with padlocks. As a result of these attacks, he was able to take refuge yesterday in a secret location.

 

The pressure began as soon as the two witnesses arrived at the Kampala airport: community leader Jelousy Mugisha was arrested and questioned for nearly nine hours[2]. But it has reached another level since their return home to Buliisa, in the heart of the area where Total is working to develop a mega oil project.

 

At the same time, according to various local informants, Moses Ogamhogwa, a Total Uganda employee based in Buliisa, whom Total SA brought to France for the December 12 hearing at the Nanterre High Court, is allegedly spreading false information to the community about Jelousy Mugisha. Indeed, the head of relations with the affected communities allegedly reported that Jelousy Mugisha had lied during his testimony in France. In addition to threatening Jelousy Mugisha, this misinformation to the communities creates a deleterious climate of confusion and fear.

 

According to Thomas Bart, a Survie activist who coordinated the on-site investigation, "Although there is no evidence to incriminate Total and its subcontractors, if anything were to happen to our witnesses, it would be perceived on-site as retaliation and would reinforce the idea that it is not possible to oppose the oil giant when it threatens the rights of the populations".

 

For Juliette Renaud, campaign manager for Friends of the Earth France, "These new intimidations are likely to dissuade those affected from asserting their rights, which is unacceptable. We are genuinely concerned for the safety of these two witnesses, and potentially for the safety of other members of their communities."

 

For the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, "the safety of defenders must be guaranteed, otherwise Total should not agree to move forward on this project".

 

Survie, Friends of the Earth France and the Observatory remain attentive to the situation of the witnesses and call for their immediate securing.



[1] Total Uganda: historic first hearing on the duty of care, December 12, 2019: https://www.amisdelaterre.org/Total-Ouganda-premiere-audience-historique-sur-le-devoir-de-vigilance.html

[2] Further intimidation of one of the Uganda witnesses in the trial against Total in Paris : https://www.amisdelaterre.org/Nouvelle-intimidation-d-un-des-temoins-ougandais-venu-dans-le-cadre-du-proces.html and Arbitrary detention and release of Mr. Jelousy Mugisha following his testimony in France in a case against Total : https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/uganda-arbitrary-detention-and-release-of-mr-jelousy-mugisha & https://www.omct.org/fr/human-rights-defenders/urgent-interventions/uganda/2019/12/d25643/

Properties

Date: December 26, 2019
Activity: Human Rights Defenders
Type: Urgent Interventions
Country: Uganda
Subjects: Arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, Human Rights Defenders, Threats, intimidation and harassment

Share this

Tweet

Related articles

  • Uganda:  Arbitrary detention and release of nine environmental human rights defenders
    Urgent Interventions / September 18, 2020
  • Uganda:  Libération immédiate pour les 9 journalistes et défenseurs arrêtés
    Urgent Interventions / September 16, 2020
  • Uganda:  Arbitrary detention and release of Mr. Jelousy Mugisha following his testimony in France in a case against Total
    Urgent Interventions / December 17, 2019

Languages

This page is available in:

English
French


You can also translate it on the fly:

Recently Viewed Articles

OMCT International Secretariat
PO Box 21, 8, rue du Vieux-Billard, CH-1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 809 4939
Fax: + 41 22 809 4929
E-mail:
OMCT Europe
Rue Franklin 111
1000 Brussels
Tel. / Fax: +32 2 218 37 19
E-mail:
OMCT TUNIS
3, Rue Hassen Ibn Nooman
Cité Jardins | Tunis 1002
Tel: +216 71 791 114
Fax: +216 71 791 115
E-mail:
  • Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Rss
  • Privacy Policy