African Union Watch, a continental Pan African NGO has written to the president of the EU parliament challenging a resolution that sought to block an ambitious oil pipeline project being undertaken by both Uganda and Tanzania.
The message is contained in a three paged letter addressed to the EU president Roberta Metsola and EU commission president Ursula von de Leyen and copied to Gen. Yoweri Museveni and the president of Tanzania Suluhu.In the letter,
AU Watch suggests that whereas the EU parliament made that resolution basing on international human rights instruments, this was a cover to negate the economic development and aspirations of Uganda and Tanzania and their people.”This resolution has come as a disturbing development.
The EU parliament has no direct jurisdictional basis to discuss African implementation of economic development projects. The only leverage EU parliament and Commission have on African continent is purely on diplomatic engagements and economic cooperation arrangements that the EU has with African states and institutions” the letter signed by Bahame Tom Nyaduga the chairperson AU Watch accessed by The Inspector reads in part.He said the said resolution is an attempt to meddle into the African affairs yet according to him, the Africans have a right to political and economic self determination.”Dear madam and sir, your resolution aims to keep Africa in perpetual poverty.
We call on the EU parliament to ensure that best technology is supplied to African states to ensure they continue to exploit their resources. This would be positive multilateral cooperation than condemnation by EU parliament” he said.Hereunder is the full letter.
