KAMPALA, Uganda — TotalEnergies, with the support from the Ugandan and the Tanzanian governments, are building the world’s largest heated crude oil pipeline.

Once completed, the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline will span from the oil-rich shores of Lake Albert in western Uganda and end 900 miles (1,443 kilometers) south at the Tanzanian Port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean.

Despite the economic gains oil production promises, the massive project has been criticized by climate activists for the massive ecological and humanitarian harm that will result in the region. At the same time, a recent study revealed that TotalEnergies has displaced over 2,000 graves in Uganda and Tanzania with no respect for cultural and religious burial customs of the affected communities.

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GreenFaith, a multi-faith climate justice organization, released a report titled “As If Nothing Is Scared” to bring light to the issue. The international organization conducted an extensive review of public information published by TotalEnergies and carried out field surveys and interviews with families who own gravesites along the EACOP route.

GreenFaith reported that approximately 1,031 graves in Uganda and another 1,049 in Tanzania have been disturbed during the construction.     

East African Burial Practices 

It is common practice among East Africans to bury their loved ones in their ancestral compounds. Muslim graves, for example, are typically low earthen mounds, whereas Christian ones are marked with brick and concrete plinths. Some religious communities do not customarily mark graves, while some lack the financial resources for grave markers. However, this in no way diminishes the significance of the grave nor erases family memories of the graves’ locations, advocates said.

At the same time, the construction of the underground oil pipeline is causing the involuntary displacement of over 86,000 people. Apart from displacing local communities, the project requires marked and unmarked graves along the EACOP route to be relocated. 

In the resettlement action plan, affected families were given the option to either relocate their deceased on their own or have the project’s subcontractors conduct the process. Total compensated the affected people for the relocation of graves and land acquisition.

However, people have complained that the compensation offered has been inadequate and their requests for subcontractors to adhere to their religious and traditional burial customs have continuously been ignored. 

One Ugandan told GreenFaith that the French petroleum giant refused to acknowledge the number of burial sites his family had. He told them of his 11 relatives buried at those sites — but the company at first said it only found five. Later, the same people acknowledged eight graves, then eventually nine, each for which the family was compensated $266.50.

Alfred Kato, a Catholic, said the budget he submitted to the project officials for relocating his family’s graves was rejected.

“In our culture, when we are relocating graves, we first sit and plan and draft the expenses to be incurred. But for them, they did everything alone without consulting us,” he said.

Ali Bafoma, a Tanzanian Muslim, told GreenFaith he had to use his own savings to buy white sheet clothes called for shrouding the retrieved remains along with a woven mat to wrap his ancestors’ remains for burial.

At the same time, John Asiiwme, another resident who lives along the EACOP route, went through the additional expenses of purchasing cement, iron bars and tiles to give their deceased a dignified burial.

“These people do not care about religion or traditional practices,” Asiimwe said. “The project people have no respect for God and deceased spirits.”

Spiritual Unrest

Unearthing the remains of deceased people in order to rebury them has caused communities spiritual and psychological harm, advocates said. Many have expressed guilt and distress for allowing these graves to be disturbed. Since they cannot refuse to participate in the relocation and land acquisition process, they can only hope their religious and cultural practices will be honored in the burial process. 

Musa Ahmed, a Muslim from Tanzania, said: “In case we relocate graves without adherence to Islamic and Sandawe tribe obligations, then our generation will be cursed by our ancestor' spirits. In our tradition, we use burial places as sacred premises. We often conduct traditional rituals, such as begging for mercy or favor to our ancestors. Treating sacred places with disrespect might exacerbate trouble in our clan.”

Across the border in Uganda, Fred Tugume, who is a practicing Catholic, said he has experienced similar distress. 

“I was not satisfied with how my graves were relocated, because later we had disturbance from the spirit of the dead; they spoke through night dreams that they are not comfortable where they have been relocated,” he said. “In our culture, when the reburial process isn't fully followed, the spirit of the dead could be offended and bring misfortune in the family, through causing illnesses, causing barrenness and so many other things.”

EACOP’s Response 

Following the publication of GreenFaith’ report, EACOP released a statement denying all allegations of violating graves and disrespecting local traditions. The letter stressed that EACOP has carried out the delicate matter of grave relocation in accordance with “international best practices, which involves extensive consultation and engagement with the affected communities and proper record keeping.” 

Contrary to the figures cited in the GreenFaith report, EACOP revealed that 656 graves in Uganda and 1,124 graves in Tanzania had been identified. To date, 97% of these graves have been relocated to cemeteries, they said.

EACOP officials said they regret not being consulted by GreenFaith before the publication of the report. Furthermore, the oil pipeline contractors mentioned that they are not aware of the cases of mistreatment shared in the report and pledged to fully investigate and resolve any specific cases brought to their attention. 

In a letter to TotalEnergies, five Ugandan and Tanzanian religious leaders condemned the violation of graves and called for an immediate end of the EACOP project. 

“This is akin to neo-colonization,” the statement read. “It is a psychological abuse to the affected, and the fact that their hands are tied, as TotalEnergies enjoys protection by Tanzania and Uganda governments, erodes any element of justice, compassion, and respect that our faiths advocate.”

Deborah Laker is a freelance writer for ReligionUnplugged.com. She graduated with degrees in journalism and political science from Oral Roberts University.