There are too many questions unanswered. Oil spills are a significant risk, he noted. A British University has predicted that Cameroon's natural resources generate 1.6 billion per year. The country could easily suffer a net loss from the project. An Harvard University study in October 1999 concluded that an oil revenue management law passed by the government in Chad does not guarantee that oil receipts will be used for social purposes.
Oil revenues go abroad to the overseas accounts of the elite.
Human rights groups claim that a climate of repression and fear is escalating in Chad. The government has a bad reputation for the misuse of public funds. Djiriabi said her organization is one of about 30 civilian action groups in Chad that have raised concerns about the pipeline. Without democratic reforms, oil revenue can only add further fuel to the fire. The project threatens the fragile environment of both countries and risks further impoverishment of local people, whose livelihoods depend directly on the fields, forests, rivers and coastal areas.