Tanzania’s Energy Minister Januari Makamba has joined Uganda’s parliament in criticising a European Union parliament resolution calling on the two countries to stop developing their oil and gas projects in the East African region.
He told the BBC that Tanzania like many other countries in the world is entitled to use its resources the same way industrialised countries do for their people.
It comes as Uganda and Tanzania are building the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) project, stretching 1,443km (896 miles) from Lake Albert in western Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean.
The EU parliament resolution passed on Thursday warned of human rights abuses and the social and environmental risk posed by the Eacop project.
“We care more about our country than other people do. We will continue to make sure this project protects local communities, protects the environment, and meets our international standards so that we will continue but we commit to do,” Tanzania’s energy minister said.
Uganda’s Deputy Speaker criticised the resolution, describing it as based on misinformation and deliberate misrepresentation of key facts on environment and human rights protection.