Communities across Africa Rise Up in a Coordinated Week of Action Against TotalEnergies
The Swahili-speaking people of East Africa have a saying: "Punda imechoka," which translates to "the donkey is tired." And that summarizes the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica week of action from August 18th to 24th. Communities across Africa came out to tell the French oil giant that they were tired!
Tired of being exploited. Tired of unfulfilled promises from big oil that enrich connected politicians while leaving host communities facing biodiversity loss, environmental destruction, displacement, and inadequate compensation that ultimately leaves them worse off.
Their message was clear: Dear TotalEnergies, pay reparations and exit the continent!
Enough is Enough!
The week of action to kick TotalEnergies out of Africa is just the beginning. The ultimate goal is to have all transnational corporations in the fossil fuel industry cease operations in Africa. #KickTotalOutOfAfrica, therefore, is a by-product of KickPollutersOut. This idea emerged at the inaugural Africa Energy Renaissance Conference (AERC) held in Kenya in 2023, where CSOs and community leaders gathered to forge a path ahead of Africa Climate Week and the Africa Climate Summit for that year.
Artists, students, and activists in Harare, Zimbabwe, participate in a Kick Polluters Out Campaign: Total Smackdown Teach-In during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action.
While the StopEACOP coalition took the lead in coordinating this week of action, its roots extend beyond one campaign, aiming to expel polluters from Africa and demanding that these polluters pay for the harm they've caused on the continent and the climate crisis resulting from fossil fuel use. Thus, it is not a one-off event; it addresses all major oil companies operating on the continent.
One of the significant moments from the coordinated actions across more than ten countries occurred when hundreds of South Africans marched from Standard Bank Headquarters to TotalEnergies offices in Johannesburg. Karabo Mokgonyana, a campaigner with Don't Gas Africa, asked the crowd gathered outside TotalEnergies’ office whether they were angry enough as she recounted how transnational corporations like TotalEnergies were using African land, African labour, and African resources for their benefit while host communities are left to shoulder the burden that comes with that extraction.
In a similar vein, our coalition coordinator, Zaki Mamdoo, addressed Standard Bank at their Johannesburg offices. As the largest bank in Africa by assets, Standard Bank is involved in several controversial fossil fuel projects, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Zaki reminded them that they fund the displacement of Africans, the destruction of ecosystems, and fuel neo-colonial extractivism.
The week wasn't solely about opposing the French oil giant; it also celebrated victories. In South Africa, communities successfully challenged TotalEnergies in court, nullifying a gas exploration permit in Cape Town. This legal victory confirms that organized communities can win against corporate giants.
Online Tribunal
The physical actions gained momentum online, with solidarity pouring in from across the continent. This digital amplification culminated in an online tribunal on Friday, attracting 80 to 140 live participants who witnessed and supported communities demanding justice.
But the most powerful moment came on Saturday in Uganda, where over 250 villagers gathered in Kyakaboga for a real community tribunal against TotalEnergies. These weren't abstract debates; these were real people whose lives had been directly impacted by the company's operations.
30 cyclists cycled from TotalEnergy offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action
Over 250 EACOP and the oil-project-affected communities in Uganda convened for an in-person tribunal during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action
TotalEnergies' century of existence means nothing to communities on the continent
TotalEnergies may have celebrated 100 years of existence, but for African communities, there's nothing to celebrate. Several independent organizations have documented various human rights violations, including Human Rights Watch and Global Witness. Not forgetting the damning report As If Nothing is Sacred that documented the desecration of graves to pave the way for the pipeline route in Uganda and Tanzania.
For communities across the continent, TotalEnergies' century has resulted in biodiversity loss, forced displacement, and deepened poverty. Promised development benefits hardly reach ordinary people, while frontline communities bear the burden of environmental destruction, biodiversity loss, and human-wildlife conflict.
A street show condemning TotalEnergies operations in the continent by activists in Benin during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action
As the week of action took place across the continent, it was not lost on us that one of the biggest allegations against TotalEnergies is greenwashing. Communities and CSOs on the continent have taken issue with their sponsorship of football, which is beloved in the region, to present an image of a company that prioritizes people over profits. Consequently, communities in Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo organized football tournaments to mobilize and raise awareness about the harm that big oil is inflicting on our communities. And what better way than a football match to kick them out of the continent?
Some of the players ahead of the march in Dakar, Senegal, during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action.
A goalkeeper clears the ball in a symbolic march in Lomé, Togo, during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action.
Interfaith groups held a prayer vigil in Nairobi, Kenya, calling for solidarity and action against TotalEnergies during the #KickTotalOutOfAfrica Week of Action.
The Africa Week of Action concluded with concrete demands reflecting community needs:
Cancel all contracts with TotalEnergies
Secure reparations for project-affected people
Invest in community-owned renewable energy
These are not radical demands; they are basic requests for justice from communities that have suffered from extraction while watching others profit.
More photos and videos from the week of action can be found here.
