The Gulf of Mexico Spill and the Campaign To Leave New Oil in the Soil in Africa

Throughout Africa, oil has correlated with imperial subjugation, local authoritarianism and flagrant human rights abuses. It is now no longer in doubt that there are absolutely no guarantees that extractive activities are safe. One accident could jeopardise an entire ecosystem. It has been common knowledge in many oil bearing communities in Africa that the discovery of oil in a local community is akin to a declaration of full-fledged war on such a community.

Coming soon: Sparking a Worldwide Energy Revolution

As the world’s energy system is on the verge of far reaching change, it is also coming up for grabs. A worldwide struggle over who controls the sector, and for what purposes, is intensifying. It is becoming increasingly clear, both to capitalist planners and anti-capitalist struggles alike, that some form of “green capitalism” is now on the agenda. We are told from all sides that it is, finally, time to “save the planet” in order to “save the economy,” yet what remains unsaid is the fact that the transition process to a new energy system is, in effect, the next round of global class struggle over control of key means of production and subsistence

Recent News

Protest in Eket over Oil Spill from Mobil
oil spill impacted lake

A fresh oil spill has sparked off a protest in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State as hundreds of residents staged a peaceful demonstration against incessant oil spills from the operations of Mobil in the area.

Visible from space, deadly on Earth: the gas flares of Nigeria

Shell's Opolo-Epie facility is the newest gas flare in the Niger Delta. And it gives the lie to claims from oil multinationals and the Nigerian government that they are close to bringing an end to the destructive and wasteful practice of gas flaring.

More News Items

Press Releases and Statements

Kampala Declaration

Civil society groups, community based organizations, campaigners, the media and individuals from various communities in Africa converged in Kampala Uganda, under the auspices of Oilwatch Africa to discuss emerging environmental concerns in Africa; such as the intensifying rush for new oil in Africa, the struggles of  our communities  for  survival and the need to build solidarity. Participants also used the space to share experiences about their different struggles as well as the suppression of the rights of communities to associate freely. Finally the meeting afforded participants the opportunity of critically examining our evolving movement building process.

COP15: Call for the Emancipation of Territories and Peoples from Fossil Energy

The planet is experiencing a severe ecological crisis and communities living in harmony with and caring for nature are being pressured to unbearable extremes. The atmosphere is being polluted, rivers damaged, forests destroyed, and so is the livelihood of communities in the South, health of individuals, communities and nature.

More Statements

Reports and Alerts

Double Oil Spill and fire at Angiama

Angiama community is an Ijaw community situated along the River Nun, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. It takes less than one hour from Yenagoa, the state capital, by speedboat. Some of Angiama’s neighbours include Oporoma, Ayama and Aguobiri; all in the same local government area.

Oilwatch Africa World Environment Day: The other side of oil

Rumuekpe, an oil bearing community in Emohua LGA of Rivers State, is the poster child of the ugly and bitter side of oil and the extent to which oil politics could destroy a people and their community. To them, oil cannot be anything better than a curse. The community which hosts 4 oil companies, namely, Agip, TotalfinaElf, Shell and Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, NDPR was engulfed in a...