French prosecutors seek more info on TotalEnergies Mozambique claims
French prosecutors have asked the survivors and families of victims of a 2021 jihadist attack in Mozambique for additional information before deciding whether or not to launch an investigation into their involuntary homicide claims against TotalEnergies, officials said.
Islamic State-linked militants killed dozens of people in the Mozambican port town of Palma on March 24, 2021, near a major liquefied gas project being developed by the French energy company.
The entire attack in Cabo Delgado province lasted several days, claiming several hundred lives. Some of the victims were beheaded and thousands fled their homes.
A legal complaint brought by three survivors and four relatives of victims of South African and British nationality accused TotalEnergies of failing to protect its subcontractors and to provide fuel so that helicopters could evacuate civilians.
After receiving comments from TotalEnergies and additional information from survivors and families of victims, a decision will be made "whether to prosecute, shelve the complaint or conduct more in-depth investigations," the prosecutor's office told AFP.
TotalEnergies declined to comment on the case Monday, instead pointing to its statement when the complaint was filed last October which firmly rejected the accusations and said it had helped evacuate 2,500 people including employees, subcontractors and civilians.
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