TotalEnergies faces manslaughter investigation in France over 2021 Mozambique attack

French prosecutors have launched a judicial investigation into TotalEnergies, accusing the oil giant of involuntary manslaughter and failing to assist people in danger during a brutal jihadist attack in Mozambique’s Palma region in March 2021.
The attack, carried out by Islamist militants linked to ISIS, left over 1,400 people dead or missing, including 55 subcontractors working for TotalEnergies on its $20 billion Mozambique LNG project. The legal action launched by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office was prompted by complaints from survivors and relatives of victims, who allege that TotalEnergies did not take sufficient measures to protect workers in the lead-up to the attack. Despite evacuating over 2,500 people during the crisis, the company is accused of not providing necessary support to subcontractors and of halting its project without adequate security precautions. TotalEnergies has denied the accusations, asserting that it did everything possible to ensure the safety of its employees.
The case has raised significant concerns over the balance between corporate interests and human rights, with victims seeking justice for the lives lost in the deadly attack. As the investigation in France unfolds, TotalEnergies is also pushing to restart its LNG project, having secured a $4.7 billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank to aid the endeavor. Production is now expected to resume by 2029 or 2030, with a total investment of $20 billion. The project’s resumption has sparked fierce debates, with human rights groups condemning it as a “climate bomb” and calling on other European and Asian banks to refuse its financing while the African Energy Chamber has hailed it as a “key project” for the economic development of the continent.