Protesters demand reparations from TotalEnergies for ‘ecological damage’ in Africa

Dozens of climate activists in South Africa marched Tuesday to condemn Standard Bank for its alleged funding of French oil giant TotalEnergies, whom they accuse of ecologically destructive fossil fuel operations on the continent, demanding reparations and restorative justice for the damage reportedly caused.

They carried placards saying “Africa is not for sale,” Kick Total out,” “Total Gas kills” and “StopEACOP.”

Zaki Mamdoo, a coordinator for the campaign group Stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (StopEACOP), told Anadolu their protest is part of a continent-wide week of action where communities and movements from across Africa are rising up to demand an end to TotalEnergies’ alleged plunder and widespread destruction.

The protesters marched to the offices of Standard Bank and TotalEnergies in Johannesburg, where they handed over a list of demands to representatives of both business establishments.

Reparations for damage

They accused Standard Bank of funding TotalEnergies’ exploration on the continent, which they claimed has caused harmful damage in many communities and demanded reparations and restorative justice for the damage reportedly caused.

They demanded that the bank immediately withdraw funding and all other forms of support for TotalEnergies’ Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and the EACOP.

Mamdoo said Standard Bank is the direct financier of TotalEnergies’ controversial $5 billion EACOP project, which has allegedly caused widespread environmental damage on its route from western Uganda to Tanzania, endangering national parks and displacing thousands of people along the way.