Impacted communities across Africa want end to TotalEnergies operations

In a continent-wide mobilisation called  Africa Week of Action to Kick Total Out of Africa, communities across Africa have demanded that TotalEnergies end its operations in the continent, pay reparations, and make way for a just energy transition.

Holding from August 18 to 24, actions will take place across at least 10 African countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Benin, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Togo, and the DRC, alongside global online events.

In Nigeria, the people Ogbogu community, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local Government Area of Rivers State have raised their voices against the multinational oilcompany, due to what the community described as a continuous pattern of corporate neglect spanning decades.

In a townhall meeting organised by CODAF which held August 18, as part of the pan-African “Kick Total Out of Africa” week of action, the event served as a platform for the oil-impacted community to voice years of pent-up grievances against TotalEnergies’ operations under the OML 58 cluster.

The meeting which had community members, community leaders, women, youths and other stakeholders who accused TotalEnergies of employing divide-and-rule tactics within the community, making empty promises of development, and consistently failing to properly compensate for damages.

A member of the community, Mr Ajie Wisdom said the community insists that Total leaves Nigeria, as their operations have done more harm than good in the community”. He pointed out that Total gas flaring operations have negative impacted on the health of residents in the community.

They called for a comprehensive environmental remediation, to heal their poisoned land and waterways, reparations for years of lost livelihoods and health impacts, and stronger government oversight to prevent such corporate abuses in the future.

The community jointly vowed to escalate their campaign through legal action, sustained protests, and appeals to global allies.

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Mr Endurance Oriakhogba, Project Officer, CODAF announced plans to channel the community’s testimonies into formal petitions at the Africa tribunal which will hold in South Africa on August 24.

“We will take Ogbogu’s cry for justice to every relevant forum until TotalEnergies is held accountable and our environment restored,” it said.

This coordinated Africa Week of Action, spearheaded by 350 Africa, represents a growing wave of resistance against fossil fuel corporations across the Africa