Name: Rights group accuses TotalEnergies of war crime complicity
Uploaded: 2025-11-19T15:14:28.508Z
Duration: 1 min 54 s
Description: A European human rights nonprofit on Tuesday accused TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes, torture and enforced disappearances allegedly carried out by government soldiers in Mozambique, filing a criminal complaint with the French anti-terrorism prosecutor.

A European human rights nonprofit on Tuesday accused TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes, torture and enforced disappearances allegedly carried out by government soldiers in Mozambique, filing a criminal complaint with the French anti-terrorism prosecutor.

French energy company TotalEnergies is facing a lawsuit in France, brought by the European Centre for Human and Constitutional Rights, over allegations that it financially and materially supported Mozambican armed forces accused of detaining, torturing, and killing civilians at a gas project site in Cabo Delgado province between July and September 2021. The site, which was guarded by a joint task force created under an agreement between TotalEnergies' local subsidiary and the Mozambican government, was suspended in 2021 following a jihadist attack nearby.

The lawsuit follows media reports detailing alleged abuses, including the detention of around 200 men in metal containers. TotalEnergies has denied any involvement with the Mozambican army and stated that no proof has been provided. The company has asked the Mozambican National Human Rights Commission to investigate and remains confident in the judicial process. The complaint comes as TotalEnergies announced plans to resume the project, targeting production in 2029.

Rights group accuses TotalEnergies of war crime complicity

French oil and gas giant Total Énergie is being sued in France over claims it backed Mozambican soldiers accused of massacres at one of its sites. The European Centre for Human and Constitutional Rights accuses the company of directly financing and materially supporting the Joint Task Force, made up of Mozambican armed forces, which allegedly detained, tortured and killed dozens of civilians on its site between July and September 2021. The alleged abuses took place in the Cabo Delgado province, where Total Énergie led a large gas project that was suspended in 2021 after a deadly jihadist attack on a nearby town. At the time, the site was still guarded by Mozambican armed forces known as the JTF, created in 2020 under an agreement between Total Énergie's local subsidiary and the Mozambican government. This lawsuit follows reports from Politico in September 2024 denouncing massacres allegedly perpetrated on the site by the JTF. Journalists found that after its suspension, soldiers working there intercepted residents and locked around 200 men in metal containers used to protect the entrance to the compound. Total Énergie denies the allegations. I can confirm that Total Énergie has no involvement with the Mozambican army. Allegations like these require proof. None has been provided. In the age of social media, slander spreads quickly. But let's wait for the courts to decide. Patrick Pouyanné says the company has asked the Mozambican National Human Rights Commission to investigate and is confident in the judiciary handling the case. The complaint comes as the French group said last month it was ready to resume the billion dollar project, aiming for production to start in 2029.

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