NGOs call for official investigation into reports of atrocities linked to Mozambique LNG

A group of NGOs, including Reclaim Finance and Friends of the Earth, is demanding an official investigation into reports of a massacre of civilians by Mozambican public security forces near TotalEnergies' premises in 2021. The NGOs highlight the company's financial and equipment ties to the Mozambican army and argue that financial institutions supporting the project must address these human rights risks.

• A journalistic investigation by Alex Perry published in Politico reports that between July and September 2021, Mozambican troops detained 180 to 250 men in shipping containers near the Mozambique LNG site, where they were subjected to torture, starvation, and beatings, with only 26 estimated survivors. Women were also reportedly subjected to sexual assault and humiliation.
• TotalEnergies has maintained a close relationship with the Mozambican army, previously providing equipment and financial compensation to the Joint Task Force (JTF) to ensure project security. A 2023 report commissioned by the company suggested that a permanent link between the project and the army could make the project a party to the conflict under the Geneva Convention.
• The reported atrocities allegedly occurred at the TotalEnergies compound, with the detention-and-execution operation run from the company's gatehouse. While the managing director of Mozambique LNG, Maxime Rabilloud, claims the company had no knowledge of the events and no presence on the ground at the time, the NGOs argue there were grounds for the company to investigate abuses committed by its defenders.
• The project is supported by financial institutions from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy, despite warnings from NGOs regarding human rights risks, climate impacts, and flaws in TotalEnergies' due diligence.

APA

Lemos, A. (2024). NGOs call for official investigation into reports of atrocities linked to Mozambique LNG. Reclaim Finance. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/09/26/ngos-call-for-official-investigation-into-reports-of-atrocities-linked-to-mozambique-lng/

Chicago

Lemos, Anabela. NGOs call for official investigation into reports of atrocities linked to Mozambique LNG. Reclaim Finance, 2024. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/09/26/ngos-call-for-official-investigation-into-reports-of-atrocities-linked-to-mozambique-lng/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lemos |first1=Anabela |title=NGOs call for official investigation into reports of atrocities linked to Mozambique LNG |publisher=Reclaim Finance |date=26 September 2024 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/09/26/ngos-call-for-official-investigation-into-reports-of-atrocities-linked-to-mozambique-lng/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lemos2024ngos, author = {Lemos, Anabela}, title = {{NGOs call for official investigation into reports of atrocities linked to Mozambique LNG}}, publisher = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/09/26/ngos-call-for-official-investigation-into-reports-of-atrocities-linked-to-mozambique-lng/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }