An NGO has filed a complaint against TotalEnergies, alleging the French energy company’s complicity in war crimes at its gas site in Mozambique. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a German NGO, submitted the complaint to France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor, citing abuses committed by soldiers protecting the site.
The alleged abuses, including torture and killing of civilians, occurred between July and September 2021 at TotalEnergies’ liquefied natural gas project in the northeastern Cabo Delgado province. According to the ECCHR, internal documents show that TotalEnergies was aware of accusations of violence against civilians by Mozambican armed forces as early as May 2020, yet continued to support the joint task force (JTF) responsible for securing the site.
The JTF, comprising Mozambican armed forces, was deployed to protect the gas site after a jihadist attack in 2021. Online media outlet Politico reported that soldiers locked up to 250 civilians in containers for three months, accusing them of supporting the jihadists. The civilians were allegedly beaten, tortured, or killed, with only 26 survivors.
The ECCHR argues that TotalEnergies knew about the Mozambican armed forces’ history of human rights violations but continued to support them to secure its facility. “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,” said Clara Gonzales, ECCHR’s co-programme director for business and human rights.
TotalEnergies has denied knowledge of the alleged events, stating that it had “no information indicating that such events took place.” The company hopes to resume production at the gas site in 2029, but first needs approval for its new budget plan, which includes $4.5 billion in cost overruns linked to the delay.
The complaint against TotalEnergies is the latest development in a controversy surrounding the company’s operations in Mozambique. Last month, Mozambican and international NGOs accused TotalEnergies of holding the country “hostage” over its demand for “ultra-favourable” conditions to restart the gas project. The case highlights the challenges of operating in conflict zones and the need for companies to ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.