A preliminary investigation has been opened for involuntary manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger against TotalEnergies, as reported by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office on Saturday, May 4, quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP). A complaint had been filed in October 2023 against the company by three survivors and four heirs of two victims of the bloody attack in Palma, Mozambique, in March 2021. After collecting the observations of TotalEnergies, which was carrying out a massive gas project in the region and was accused of a series of neglect, as well as those of the complainants, the prosecutor will evaluate “the opportunity for prosecution, closing the case, or further investigations,” according to the public ministry.
Nicholas Alexander, a South African survivor of the attack who denounces the responsibility of the oil giant in the matter, commented on this development as a positive step, stating that they are pleased that the French prosecutor reacted quickly by considering their demands. Anabela Lemos from Justiça Ambiental, a member of Friends of the Earth in Mozambique, also welcomed the decision of the prosecutor in France. She claims that the negative impacts and reckless behavior of Total in Mozambique go far beyond those days in March 2021 and hopes that the opening of this investigation “marks a positive first step towards holding this company accountable for the deaths and destruction caused.”
TotalEnergies has rejected all accusations, as a spokesperson for the company referred to their statement made at the time of filing the complaint in October 2023. The company firmly rejected these accusations and emphasized the emergency assistance provided by the Mozambique LNG teams, the name of the massive project, in evacuating over 2,500 people from the Afungi site, about ten kilometers from the center of Palma. The attack on Palma, claimed by the Islamic State group, began on March 24, 2021, lasting several days and resulting in an unknown number of victims to this day among the local population and TotalEnergies subcontractors. The company was operating the Mozambique LNG project to exploit a huge natural gas field in the Afungi peninsula.
The attack led to the suspension of this project, which represented a total investment of $20 billion. The CEO of the group, Patrick Pouyanné, had announced in early 2023 that he hoped to restart the project before the end of the year. Despite the challenges, TotalEnergies remains determined to resume its activities in Mozambique despite the ongoing jihadist insurgency in the region. The company’s efforts to address the situation and respond to the allegations will continue as the investigation progresses, with the hopes of finding justice for the victims and holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions.
