TotalEnergies: Allegations and Accountability Amid Mozambique LNG Project

A European nonprofit has accused TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes in Mozambique, linking it to alleged torture by soldiers. The French oil giant defends itself by citing an internal review and a requested external investigation. The $20 billion LNG project aims to restart amid ongoing scrutiny.

A European human rights nonprofit has accused French oil major TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes in Mozambique. The allegations involve torture and disappearances linked to government soldiers, as claimed in a criminal filing with the French anti-terrorism prosecutor.

The accusations pertain to the period when TotalEnergies evacuated its employees from a gas project site, subsequently transferring control to the government. The nonprofit claims that TotalEnergies was financially linked to the security operations by paying soldiers' salaries. TotalEnergies, however, has maintained denial of these allegations, citing a lack of evidence from an internal review conducted by the company.

The company called on Mozambique's human rights commission to investigate alongside a judicial inquiry by the attorney general. Meanwhile, French prosecutors are evaluating the complaint even as TotalEnergies plans to revive the project by 2029, under stringent security conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)