Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan this week hosted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at State House, where the two leaders reviewed progress on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and discussed broader cooperation in infrastructure, trade, and security.
In a post on her official X account, President Samia said President Museveni’s visit, his first since Uganda’s recent general election, underscored the strength of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.
“The visit demonstrates how much Uganda values its cooperation with Tanzania, a relationship built on brotherhood, good neighborliness, and mutual respect,” Samia said.
A key focus of the talks was the EACOP project, a major cross-border oil infrastructure initiative expected to begin operations in July. The pipeline will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean for export.
Stretching approximately 1,443 kilometers, EACOP is the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world. The project is led by France’s TotalEnergies, the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania, and is central to Uganda’s ambition to become an oil-producing nation.
Beyond the oil pipeline, Samia said the discussions covered plans to interconnect the two countries’ standard gauge railway (SGR) networks, construct pipelines for natural gas and petroleum products, and increase the use of Tanzanian ports. The leaders also addressed defense and security cooperation and measures to “boost cross-border trade by removing non-tariff barriers.”
Tanzania and Uganda have in recent years deepened economic ties, with large-scale infrastructure and energy projects forming the backbone of their regional integration efforts.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of politically contested elections in both countries. President Samia Suluhu Hassan and President Yoweri Museveni each emerged from polls that opposition groups, human rights organizations, and several international observers described as deeply flawed, citing allegations of violence, repression, and systemic irregularities.
In Tanzania, authorities carried out widespread arrests and imposed media restrictions before and after the vote, detaining scores of opposition leaders and supporters while limiting independent reporting. Human Rights Watch documented killings, arbitrary detentions, and other serious abuses during the election period, reporting that television and radio outlets were suspended or censored and that social media and mobile communications were blocked in some areas. Critics say these measures significantly constrained opposition campaigning and voters’ access to independent information.
Post-election unrest in Tanzania included clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with human rights monitors reporting that dozens of civilians were killed following the announcement of results. Opposition leaders rejected the outcome and called for investigations.
Uganda experienced similar tensions after its election. The main opposition challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, rejected the declared results and reported repeated security operations targeting him and his supporters. Kyagulanyi said he narrowly avoided a raid on his home and alleged that security forces cut electricity, disabled surveillance cameras, and detained or assaulted family members and supporters. Local reporting and his own statements described continued intimidation in the days following the vote, while comments from senior military figures including the chief of defense forces heightened fears of reprisals against opposition leaders.
Despite these domestic political challenges, this week’s meeting highlighted the determination of Tanzania and Uganda to press ahead with strategic economic and security cooperation. As flagship projects like EACOP move closer to completion, the two governments are signaling that regional integration and shared infrastructure priorities remain central to their partnership, even as questions over governance, civil liberties, and democratic accountability continue to draw scrutiny at home and abroad.
Source: Samia, Museveni talk oil after disputed polls | Geeska
