TotalEnergies’ decision to lift force majeure for its Mozambique LNG project despite increasingly dangerous security conditions ignores warnings that the security arrangements for the project jeopardises the safety of communities. It demonstrates deep disrespect for the unresolved community grievances and human rights, environmental and climate risks associated with Mozambique LNG. It could strain Mozambique’s economy even further by hitting the country with a heavy bill for delays to the project. Civil society organisations are — again — urging  that financial institutions and companies involved with the project withdraw their support. 

After a four-year suspension marred by severe human rights violations scandals, TotalEnergies informed the President of Mozambique in a letter on Friday of its decision to lift force majeure on its USD 20 billion Mozambique LNG project. However, according to this letter, signed by TotalEnergies’ CEO Patrick Pouyanné and seen by our organizations, the restart is still conditional on Mozambique’s agreement on the terms and conditions set by the French company. 

The letter shows that TotalEnergies’ new development plan, updated budget and schedule for the project still need to be approved by the Mozambican government. Patrick Pouyanné states that “This revised budget’s approval shall cover the incremental costs incurred by the project due to Force Majeure, which amount to 4.5 billion dollars”. However, Mozambique is still to present its own estimate. TotalEnergies is also requesting a ten-year extension of the development and production period of the project. This negotiation is happening in the context of already very unfavorable conditions for Mozambique, as TotalEnergies initially negotiated unfair contracts [1] and benefits from exploitative investor protection clauses in international agreements [2]. 

Daniel Ribeiro, Justiça Ambiental!: “TotalEnergies is attempting a new tour de force to obtain ultra-favourable restart conditions. But the enormous favours requested by the company should also be seen as the severe failure of TotalEnergies: its investment plan is a disaster, and it needs Mozambique to keep its gas project afloat. One of the world’s richest companies is holding one of the poorest countries hostage. The Mozambican government has been pressured to provide public security forces to protect the TotalEnergies project — and now is being required to pay the costs of the delays. This would weaken Mozambique’s economy, worsen living conditions for Mozambicans, and further fuel the insurgency.”

A violent regional insurgency, ongoing since October 2017 and driven by social discontent and worsened socio-economic conditions, has been triggered by the discovery of the gas reserves and the development of extractive industries that local people do not believe they will benefit from. Militarisation of the region has continuously failed to stop the insurgency [3]. 

Since July, insurgent activity has been increasing across the province, including in Palma town which neighbours the gas project and the nearby port town of Mocimboa da Praia. The new security arrangements for the gas project concentrate troops at the Afungi gas site, turning the project into an isolated “fortress” [4]. There are well-founded fears that this will increase the vulnerability of local people to insurgent attacks.

Mozambique LNG was suspended in April 2021 because of a major attack on Palma town. During the attack, at least 1,200 people were killed [5], yet the gas project remained safe under military protection. TotalEnergies is accused of failing to ensure the safety of its subcontractors during the attack, and is currently under judicial investigation in France for involuntary manslaughter [6]. The company’s responsibility is also called into question in the so-called “container massacre” reported by Politico [7].

Lorette Philippot, Friends of the Earth France: "TotalEnergies paid soldiers that, during three months in 2021, allegedly detained and tortured dozens of civilians on its gas site [8]. Only 26 out of at least 150 people are reported to have survived. But while victims are still calling for justice, Patrick Pouyanné simply denied their voices and suffering [9]. Not only must these allegations of serious crimes not go unpunished for those potentially responsible, but TotalEnergies must be prevented from applying its recipe for chaos once again : putting its profits before communities safety, as it has been doing since 2019 in Mozambique."

According to TotalEnergies, the lifting of the force majeure required approval by each of the 31 financial institutions which participated in the USD 14.9 billion financing to Mozambique LNG in July 2020 [10].

Rieke Butijn, BankTrack: “Our coalition has provided financial institutions with extensive reports, expert accounts and community testimonies showing that the project endangers workers and communities and offers very little benefit to Mozambique. With the lifting of the force majeure, now is the time for these institutions to show that they understand the gravity of the situation and to make the only responsible financial decision: withdraw their support for the Mozambique LNG project.”

Among the financial institutions involved, the UK Export Finance agency and the Dutch government both opened investigations in 2025 into the reported “container massacre” – with no results made public yet. 

Isabelle Geuskens, Milieudefensie: “It is shocking to see TotalEnergies push the Mozambican government and lift force majeure at a time when the security situation in the region of the gas area is horrific. Locals are fleeing their communities again, people are being killed and some of the aid organisations had to retreat because of the escalating violence. The total disregard for what is happening to Mozambican citizens is appalling. The Dutch government — which is currently re-assessing its ECA support — should act responsibly as a public financier, and discontinue its support for this gas project. No Dutch taxpayer money should back up this rich French company´s dirty project, which is gambling with the rights and well-being of the people of Cabo Delgado, one of the poorest regions in the world!”

Simone Ogno, ReCommon: “Oil and gas companies and financial institutions want to press ahead at all costs with the exploitation of Mozambique's natural resources, regardless of the consequences: human rights violations that could potentially amount to war crimes, forced displacement of people and a burden on Mozambique's public finances. Added to this are the potential impacts on the marine environment and climate from offshore projects.This applies to the Mozambique LNG project as well as to Rovuma LNG (ExxonMobil and ENI) — which share land use rights and infrastructure with the Mozambique LNG project — and Coral North FLNG (ENI). A gamble at the expense of the Mozambican people. If the human rights violations reported to have occurred in 2021 are confirmed, the consequences will also fall on the project's financial sponsors, primarily export credit agencies, including SACE.”

Sonja Meister, urgewald: “Siemens Energy holds a key to the start of the Mozambique LNG project- a non-delivery of its gas turbines and other essential equipment would represent a main bottleneck further delaying the project from restarting. Deutsche Bank has already helped TotalEnergies on several occasions to raise new funds that could also be used to finance the project. German companies and banks should immediately withdraw their support for Mozambique LNG and TotalEnergies if they do not want to be complicit in this disastrous project."

Notes: 

[1] https://www.e3g.org/publications/the-failure-of-gas-for-development-mozambique-case-study

[2] https://stopmozgas.org/report/report-isds-mozambique-2024/ 

[3] https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cabo-delgado-insurgency-persists-amid-failed-military-strategy

[4] https://www.zitamar.com/shut-out-of-fortress-afungi/ 

[5] https://www.alex-perry.com/palma-massacre/ 

[6] https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2025/03/15/french-prosecutors-launch-manslaughter-probe-against-totalenergies-over-mozambique-attack_6739177_124.html 

[7] https://www.politico.eu/article/totalenergies-mozambique-patrick-pouyanne-atrocites-afungi-palma-cabo-delgado-al-shabab-isis/ 

[8] https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/video/2025/01/28/comment-des-soldats-payes-par-totalenergies-ont-sequestre-des-civils-au-mozambique_6520247_3212.html 

[9] Statement by Patrick Pouyanné in June 2025, questioned on Mozambique LNG as part of an Inquiry Commission in the French Parliament

[10] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/totalenergies-further-delays-20-bln-mozambique-lng-project-ft-reports-2025-01-22/. 31 financial institutions participated in the USD 14.9 billion financing to Mozambique LNG in July 2020: 

• Public financial institutions: Export Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM); Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); UK Export Finance (UKEF); Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Thai Exim); Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero (SACE); Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI); Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC); Atradius Dutch State Business (ADSB); Cassa Depositi e Prestiti; African Development Bank (AfDB); African Export Import Bank; Development Bank of Southern Africa; Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa; Korea Development Bank; Export Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM); US International Development Finance Corp (DFC).

• Private financial institutions: Société Générale; Crédit Agricole; Mizuho Bank; JP Morgan; Standard Chartered Bank; MUFG Bank; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation; Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank; SBI Shinsei Bank; Nippon Life Insurance; ABSA Bank; Nedbank; Rand Merchant Bank; Standard Bank; ICBC.