Gas Rush, Human Rights Abuses, Climate Devastation, Insurgent Attacks, Covid Hotspot

A statement by Friends of the Earth International and JA! (Justiça Ambiental) condemning the gas industry's impact in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, citing human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and the exacerbation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The gas industry in Cabo Delgado, involving companies such as Eni, Total, Shell, and ExxonMobil, has led to significant land grabs and the displacement of over 550 families. These corporations have destroyed villages and restricted access to the sea, resulting in a food crisis and providing compensation land that is only a tenth of the size of original plots.
• The region is experiencing severe instability characterized by insurgent attacks that have displaced over 100,000 people. The Mozambican government's military response is described as protecting transnational corporations rather than citizens, with soldiers reportedly assaulting vulnerable people and imposing random curfews.
• Gas projects are threatening the Quirimbas Archipelago, a UNESCO Biosphere, by risking the irreversible destruction of endangered fish and coral species. Additionally, the industry is linked to the suppression of press freedom, with journalists like Ibrahimo Abu Mbaruco and community members like Mr Selemane disappearing after reporting on the industry or military.
• Cabo Delgado became a COVID-19 hotspot in Mozambique, with the first confirmed case being a foreign employee at a Total construction site. Within two weeks, Total employees accounted for two thirds of the country's cases, while local communities serving the site lacked adequate testing and protection.
• Despite the presence of the international fossil fuel industry, Mozambique's development remains low, ranking 180 out of 189 on the 2018 Human Development Index. Only one third of the population has electricity access, and the majority of extracted gas is intended for export.

APA

admin (2020). Gas Rush, Human Rights Abuses, Climate Devastation, Insurgent Attacks, Covid Hotspot. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/gas-rush-human-rights-abuses-climate-devastation-insurgent-attacks-covid-hotspot/

Chicago

admin. Gas Rush, Human Rights Abuses, Climate Devastation, Insurgent Attacks, Covid Hotspot. Friends of the Earth International, 2020. https://www.foei.org/gas-rush-human-rights-abuses-climate-devastation-insurgent-attacks-covid-hotspot/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=admin |title=Gas Rush, Human Rights Abuses, Climate Devastation, Insurgent Attacks, Covid Hotspot |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=4 June 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/gas-rush-human-rights-abuses-climate-devastation-insurgent-attacks-covid-hotspot/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2020gas, author = {admin}, title = {{Gas Rush, Human Rights Abuses, Climate Devastation, Insurgent Attacks, Covid Hotspot}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/gas-rush-human-rights-abuses-climate-devastation-insurgent-attacks-covid-hotspot/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }