Maputo, 18 Ago (AIM) – The necessary security conditions for resuming work on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, led by the French oil and gas company TotalEnergies, have already been reached, according to the minister of Mineral Resources, Carlos Zacarias.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Coordinating Council of his ministry, held in the neighbouring province of Niassa, he said the government has been in constant dialogue with TotalEnergies so that it may resume the work as soon possible.
“After two years, there are signs that the security has been recovered”, said Zacarias. Nonetheless, no date for resuming the LNG project can yet be advanced “because there are matters that must be discussed previously”.
The TotalEnergies project in Cabo Delgado, is budgeted at 23 billion dollars, easily the largest foreign investment in Mozambique to date. However, it was interrupted in 2021 when Islamist terrorists attacked Palma town.
TotalEnergies declared “force majeure”, and withdrew all of its staff from Palma.
Since July 2021, the Mozambican defence and security forces, with support from Rwanda and the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), have been driving the jihadists away from areas near the LNG project.
The Mozambican state has resumed control over Palma town, and over the adjacent district of Mocimboa da Praia. According to President Filipe Nyusi, the terrorists no longer have any fixed bases anywhere in Cabo Delgado.
(AIM)
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