14223E – French Human Rights Expert To Assess Cabo Delgado Situation
Maputo, 4 Feb (AIM) – The French oil and gas company TotalEnergies announced on Friday that it has appointed Jean-Christophe Rufin, an expert in humanitarian action and human rights, to head an independent mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
The announcement came after Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi had granted an audience to the CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, in the Cabo Delgado provincial capital, Pemba.
Total Energies heads the Mozambique LNG consortium that plans to build natural gas liquefaction plants on the Afungi Peninsula in the Cabo Delgado district of Palma, a project with a total investment of 20 billion US dollars. But the project ground to a halt in March 2021, when Total declared ‘force majeure’ after islamist terrorists overran the district capital, Palma town.
Palma and the neighbouring district of Mocimboa da Praia are now back under government control, thanks to a counter-offensive against the jihadists by the Mozambican defence and security forces and their allies from Rwanda and SAMIM (SADC Military Mission in Mozambique).
After visiting Palma and Mocimboa da Praia towns, as well as the Afungi industrial area, and the neighbouring Quitunda resettlement village, Pouyanne issued a statement acknowledging that “Since 2021, the situation in Cabo Delgado province has improved significantly, thanks in particular to the support provided by the African countries that committed themselves to restoring peace and security.”
“The mission entrusted to Jean-Christophe Rufin”, he added, “should enable Mozambique LNG‘s partners to assess whether the current situation allows for a resumption of activities while respecting human rights”.
According to a TotalEnergies press release, Rufin’s mission “will also evaluate the actions taken by Mozambique LNG and will propose any additional actions to be implemented, if required”.
The report of the mission, the release added “will be delivered at the end of February and its conclusions will be shared with all Mozambique LNG’s partners, who shall decide whether the conditions are met for resuming project activities”.
“The lifting of the force majeure and the resumption of activities at the Mozambique LNG project site require, in particular, the restoration of security in the region, the resumption of public services and the return to normal life for the people of the region”, the release said.
(AIM)
Pf/
