By Caroline Kirabo
Uganda is expected to start building the US$5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in January after the first shipment of pipes arrived from China, as opposition to the massive project intensifies.
The first 100km of line pipes for the massive cross-border EACOP project have arrived in the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Chinese steel pipe manufacturer Panyu Chu Kong (PCK) Steel Pipe Co., which is contracted to supply the line pipes, delivered the first 100km of pipes on Tuesday.
Ugandan and Tanzanian officials marked their arrival at a storage yard operated by EACOP’s Tanzania logistics partner, Superdoll, at the port of Dar es Salaam.
Environmental and rights groups say pristine ecosystems, biodiversity hotspots, water resources, and community land are under threat in China-Africa relations.