Africa-Press. French energy company TotalEnergies announced it is resuming work on its liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in northern Mozambique, after a five-year توقف following a deadly attack and allegations that the company was complicit in war crimes.
The project—described as Africa’s largest LNG development—was halted in 2021 after an attack carried out by armed fighters in Cabo Delgado province. The company’s CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, said at the relaunch ceremony attended by Mozambican President Daniel Chapo: “I am pleased to announce the full restart of the Mozambique LNG project… force majeure has been lifted.”
Pouyanné said the work would see “a major acceleration” in the coming months, noting that the first vessel has already begun operations.
According to the company’s statement, around 4,000 workers are currently involved in onshore and offshore construction, and the project is 40% complete, with first LNG production expected in 2029.
Investigations reveal serious abuses
In 2024, Politico published an investigation alleging that Mozambican soldiers stationed within the company’s concession committed widespread abuses between June and September 2021, including torture, starvation, strangulation, and the execution of around 200 men, as well as cases of enforced disappearance.
In December 2025, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands withdrew $2.2 billion in financial support for the project, while a Dutch report confirmed the accuracy of large parts of the journalistic investigation.
TotalEnergies denied the allegations, saying its internal inquiries found no evidence of abuses. The Mozambican government also denied that its forces committed war crimes. However, the القضية sparked criticism in France, where lawmakers called for the company to be questioned about its security arrangements in conflict areas.
TotalEnergies holds a 26.5% stake in the project consortium, which is expected to pave the way for exports worth billions of dollars, despite continuing security challenges linked to the armed insurgency in northern Mozambique.
