The NGO European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) filed a complaint with France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor on Tuesday, accusing French energy company TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes in the southeastern African country of Mozambique.
The alleged abuses, which the ECCHR says took place at TotalEnergies’ liquefied natural gas project in the restive Cabo Delgado province, include the torture and murder of dozens of civilians.
What do we know about the complaint?
The complaint focuses on alleged abuses committed between July and September 2021 by soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) deployed to protect the Cabo Delgado gas site.
The JTF, paid for by TotalEnergies under an agreement with the government, was made up of Mozambican armed forces, following an alleged jihadist attack on the site that led to the suspension of operations there.
Online media outlet Politico reported that soldiers working for the site detained 250 civilians in containers for three months, accusing them of supporting jihadists.
Politico said civilians were beaten, tortured or killed and only 26 survived.
“Internal documents show that TotalEnergies was aware of allegations of violence against civilians by the Mozambican armed forces since May 2020, yet continued its support to the JTF,” the ECCHR said in a statement.
“TotalEnergies was aware that the Mozambican armed forces were accused of systematic human rights violations, yet they continued to support them for the sole purpose of securing their facility,” said Clara Gonzales, ECCHR’s co-programme director for trade and human rights.
“When companies and their executives operate in conflict zones they are not neutral actors: if they perpetrate or facilitate crimes, they may be complicit in them and must be held accountable,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
Last year, TotalEnergies said it was not aware of any harassment allegations at its vacated site and that its employees left in April 2021 and did not return until November 2021 after the alleged incidents.
TotalEnergies is under investigation for other failures
TotalEnergies is still under a separate investigation by French prosecutors for allegedly failing to assist people in danger during the 2021 Islamist attacks and evacuations.
No charges have been filed yet, and Total has denied wrongdoing.
The company was also accused last month by Mozambican and international NGOs of holding the country “hostage” by demanding “ultra-favorable” terms to restart the project, in which it has a 26.5% stake.
Its new budget plan to reopen the site in 2029, not yet approved by authorities, includes a $4.5 billion (€3.9 billion) cost increase that is to be covered by the Mozambican government.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher