A French energy company, TotalEnergies, is facing allegations of complicity in war crimes over a 2021 massacre near its multi-billion dollar gas project in northern Mozambique, claims the company denies. The complaint was filed with French prosecutors by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, a human rights organization, which accused TotalEnergies of enabling torture and executions of dozens of civilians by local security forces at its Afungi peninsula facility.
TotalEnergies has consistently denied responsibility for the actions of government troops and security personnel assigned to protect the gas refinery development, which at the time represented the largest foreign investment project in Africa. The company has emphasized that it does not control the operations of the Mozambican forces deployed to the site.
The allegations center on the massacre in Cabo Delgado province, a region rich in natural resources but plagued by violent Islamist militants linked to the Islamic State group, known for targeting civilians and beheadings. In March 2021, insurgents attacked the town of Palma, killing or abducting more than fifteen hundred civilians living near the TotalEnergies gas facility. In the aftermath, Mozambican forces stationed at the site reportedly carried out reprisals against locals who had sought help from the company’s security personnel.
According to investigative journalist Alex Perry, the reprisals included forcibly separating men from groups of civilians and holding them in shipping containers at the Total facility, where many were tortured and executed. Perry documented ninety-seven victims, though he believes the total number may be double that. He described the events as the bloodiest disaster in the history of the oil and gas industry.
Clara Gonzales, co-programme director for business and human rights at ECCHR, said, “Companies and their executives are not neutral actors when they operate in conflict zones. If they enable or fuel crimes, they might be complicit and should be held accountable.” Perry described the filing of the complaint as a “victory for truth and accountability,” highlighting that the scale of the massacre had largely gone unreported.
The British government, which initially offered financial guarantees to UK companies participating in Mozambique’s liquefied natural gas project, suspended support following the violence in Palma. Environmental campaigners are now calling on Britain to withdraw from backing the project, citing the seriousness of the allegations against TotalEnergies as a potential red line for financial involvement.
TotalEnergies has not commented directly on the new complaint. The BBC has reached out to the company for a statement. The ongoing scrutiny of the company and its operations underscores growing global concern over the responsibilities of multinational corporations operating in conflict zones and the potential for complicity in human rights violations.
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