EACOP: Fractured Lands, Silent Hearts

Echoes of Displacement

In the vast territories of Uganda and Tanzania, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) cuts a path through homes, forests, and lives. Spanning over 1,443 kilometers, this heated steel artery connects the oil fields of Lake Albert to the Tanzanian coast, extracting the black blood of the earth. While TotalEnergies and its partners promise economic progress, the human cost is buried beneath the surface: the displacement of over 118,000 souls, their lands seized, their voices drowned by corporate ambition. This incursion into sacred ecosystems evokes memories of colonization—a new chapter in a familiar story of exploitation.

The Silent Cry

The soil trembles ⸱ whispers of loss carried by the wind ⸱
⸱ fractured homes ⸱ the sky above bears witness but turns away .//

The EACOP is not merely a technical endeavor; it is a fracture in the lives of thousands. As the pipeline carves through Tanzania and Uganda, it disconnects communities from their heritage, severing ancestral roots. Symbolized by Nadirite, a stone of isolation, exile, and profound loss, the displaced populations face a descent into uncertainty. In tarot, Nadirite aligns with the Five of Pentacles, reflecting material loss, exclusion, and the spiritual displacement endured by those uprooted.

These lands, once rich with crops and community, now resonate with the silence of homes abandoned under duress. The Five of Pentacles’ themes of exile, poverty, and disconnection echo the fate of those who can no longer plant their crops, or rebuild their homes. This deep nadir, both physical and spiritual, leaves scars that will remain long after the oil has flowed.

The Dark Arteries of EACOP

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a massive infrastructure project, stretching from the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil extraction sites in Uganda to the Tanzanian coast. Led by TotalEnergies, this project is designed to transport 216,000 barrels of crude oil daily. While it promises economic benefits, the realities for affected communities are grim. The pipeline cuts through 231 villages in Tanzania alone, displacing over 62,000 people, with the total number of displaced across Uganda and Tanzania reaching around 118,000.

Despite promises of compensation, many of these displaced communities remain in limbo. Compensation payments have been delayed for years, with thousands of families still waiting for redress. Their lands, taken for the pipeline, have been rendered unusable, preventing these farming communities from growing crops or building homes. The environmental stakes are equally dire: the pipeline threatens fragile ecosystems, including Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater basin, which supports over 40 million people. The risk of oil spills along the pipeline’s route, which traverses seismically active zones, looms large over these vulnerable lands.

To truly grasp the magnitude and scope of this project, you can explore the interactive EACOP map, which reveals all the stakeholders and regions impacted by the pipeline.

Ethics of the Deepening Scar

Silent cries ⸱ the earth gives way ⸱ oil spills into the veins of the land .//

The ethical dilemmas of EACOP are stark. At a time when the global community strives to reduce fossil fuel dependency, EACOP threatens to emit 34 million tonnes of CO2 annually—far surpassing the combined emissions of Uganda and Tanzania. The project undermines international efforts to combat climate change, embodying the very forces that continue to push the world towards environmental catastrophe.

Yet, beyond the climate impacts, the social toll is perhaps more insidious. The displaced communities face not only the loss of their homes but the severance of their ties to the land. Farmers, cut off from their fertile lands, suffer from food insecurity. Many have been left waiting for compensation for over four years, their futures tethered to a project that shows little regard for their well-being.

Memory of Loss

// the earth breathes ⸱ but the homes beneath the soil are silent .//

As the EACOP project moves forward, the scars it leaves behind will not easily fade. The displaced will continue to fight for their land, their dignity, and their future. As oil continues to flow, the land will remember those who once lived in harmony with it. The question remains: In the pursuit of progress, how many more lives will be uprooted, and how much more of the earth will be sacrificed?