Delfim Anacleto/DW

Mozambican military forces are present in the Palma district in the troubled Cabo Delgado province

A French energy giant has faced allegations of complicity in war crimes over a 2021 massacre near its multibillion-dollar gas project in northern Mozambique, claims the company denied. In a complaint filed with French prosecutors, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) accused TotalEnergies of complicity in war crimes, including the torture and execution of dozens of civilians held by local security forces in a cluster of shipping containers at its facility.

"Internal documents show that TotalEnergies was aware of accusations of violence against civilians being committed by Mozambican armed forces from May 2020, yet continued its support to the JTF," the ECCHR said.

The massacre by Mozambican forces took place in resource-rich Cabo Delgado province, where government troops were battling violent Islamist militants, linked to the Islamic State group, with a gruesome reputation for beheading victims. Environmental groups have urged the UK and Dutch governments to withdraw financial support for the project.