French prosecutors have initiated an investigation into TotalEnergies regarding possible manslaughter and negligence in aiding individuals during a jihadist assault in Mozambique, as stated by the energy company, which maintains its innocence.
In March 2021, Islamist militants launched an attack on the port city of Palma, resulting in numerous civilian casualties near gas infrastructure projects in Mozambique, partially owned by TotalEnergies.
In late 2023, survivors and victims’ families filed a complaint in France, alleging that the company neglected to ensure the safety of its subcontractors, prompting prosecutors to begin a preliminary inquiry.
“TotalEnergies has been notified of the commencement of a judicial investigation concerning the terrorist attacks in Mozambique in March 2021,” the company stated in an email on Saturday.
“The company firmly denies these allegations.”
Reiterating its previous statements made during the complaint, TotalEnergies emphasized that teams from the Mozambique LNG project provided emergency support and evacuated over 2,500 individuals.
The judicial investigation will assess whether there are sufficient grounds to bring TotalEnergies to trial.
French media previously reported that the investigation is being conducted by prosecutors in Nanterre, located just outside Paris. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
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Additionally, the board of the U.S. Export-Import Bank has approved a nearly $5 billion loan for the Mozambique LNG project, overcoming a significant obstacle to resuming operations that were interrupted by the Islamist attacks.
