Arusha, Tanzania – Wednesday, November 27, 2025 – As part of the Our Land Without Oil campaign, led by the Congolese Alert for the Environment and Human Rights (ACEDH), an unprecedented climate lawsuit has been filed before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ, Case No. 47 of 2025), targeting the DRC, Uganda, and the Secretary-General of the EAC.
This action stems from alarming reports by local fishermen and communities: since September 2025, the sharp decline in fish catches on Lakes Albert and Edward has highlighted an imminent ecological crisis. This trend was confirmed by a scientific report published by the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) on October 2, 2025. According to the report, the expansion of the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil projects in Uganda poses a major risk of eutrophication and chemical contamination, directly threatening the food security of millions.
“This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a direct extension of overwhelming scientific evidence,” explains Pascale Mirindi, coordinator of the NTSP campaign. She cites microcystin levels in tilapia and Nile perch reaching up to 300 times the safe thresholds, and the critical phosphorus budget of Lake Albert already approaching the dangerous limit of 1,240 tons per year if the oil boom continues.
The sources of pollution are multiple: 360 tons from wastewater of a population increase of 600,000 drawn by the oil boom, 400 tons from intensive agriculture, 360 tons linked to livestock farming of 36,000 animals, and 120 tons from urban runoff associated with oil infrastructure.
Adding to this already alarming picture are the oil wastes from the Kingfisher Central Processing Facility (CPF), generating 200 tons of oily sludge per year, some of which is reportedly being illegally dumped into Lake Albert, according to local investigations. “If even half of these wastes enter the water, it would cause chronic pollution, bioaccumulation of toxins in fish, and inevitable cross-border effects on the DRC,” the report warns.
The lawsuit filed at the EACJ goes beyond science: it highlights serious legal and institutional failures. The claimants – ACEDH, local leaders Uweci Wele Moïse and Kambasu Katsuva Mukura Josué – denounce the lack of consultation with Congolese communities, the absence of cross-border impact assessments on the DRC side, and the culpable inaction of the Congolese state. The EAC Secretary-General is also implicated for failing to ensure member states’ compliance with the treaty.
“At this stage, the scientific alert is no longer a scenario; it is reality,” insists Pascale Mirindi. The coalition is asking the Court for an immediate halt to all activities worsening pollution, an independent environmental audit, compensation for the damages suffered by fishermen, and full enforcement of the polluter-pays principle.
For Olivier Ndoole, a public interest lawyer, “What is at stake today in the waters of Lake Albert will determine the lives of millions tomorrow. This moment demands that we choose justice, scientific truth, and political responsibility as the foundation for the country the DRC wants to build for its future generations.”
This historic trial represents a pioneering approach to climate justice in Central Africa, where science, community experiences, and legal frameworks come together to protect the unique biodiversity of the Albertine Rift, food security, and the fundamental rights of local populations.
By Kilalopress
