French prosecutors asked survivors and families of victims of a jihadist attack in Mozambique three years ago for more information before a decision on whether to start an investigation into their claims against TotalEnergies SE of involuntary manslaughter, Agence France-Presse reported.
A legal complaint made by victims’ families and survivors alleges that the French energy giant failed to protect its subcontractors, according to AFP. They also allege that TotalEnergies, which was developing a liquefied natural gas project in the region, failed to provide fuel so that helicopters could evacuate civilians.
An Islamic State-linked insurgency in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province prompted TotalEnergies to stall the $20 billion LNG project, after a raid on Palma in March 2021 left dozens of people dead. The town served as a base for many subcontractors.
TotalEnergies declined to comment on the case Monday, AFP said, instead citing a statement made when the complaint was filed in October, in which the company rejected the accusations and said it had helped evacuate 2,500 people from the plant, including civilians, staff, contractors and subcontractors.
The prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg News.
TotalEnergies hopes to resume building the LNG development by the middle of this year, after the attack prompted the company to declare force majeure on the project. It’s one of Africa’s biggest private investments and has the potential to transform the economy of one of the world’s poorest nations.
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