Total’s new deadline
Total’s new deadline
The insurgents in Cabo Delgado may have been driven from their bases, but they still have the capacity to kill
Good afternoon. The hotly anticipated visit by the TotalEnergies chief executive to Mozambique happened on Friday, and Zitamar was able to break the news through our Telegram channel, having tracked his jet which landed in Pemba, from Paris, early in the morning.
Patrick Pouyanné had a packed day, flying straight up to the Mozambique LNG project site at Afungi, visiting the resettlement village at Quitunda, driving — with a Rwandan escort — down to Mocímboa da Praia, and then returning by road to Afungi from where he flew back to Pemba for dinner with President Nyusi.
Travelling by road between Palma and Mocímboa — two towns previously taken by the insurgency — is in itself a powerful statement that security has improved. But a return to the LNG project is far from a given. Pouyanné’s biggest announcement on his trip was the appointment of a famous French humanitarian and diplomat to carry out a report into the humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado — on the basis of which, the Mozambique LNG partners will decide whether the conditions to restart are in place, or not. He has until the end of this month to report.
Tragically, the following day, insurgents struck again — further south on the Cabo Delgado north-south road, between Macomia and Pemba. Among the dead was a man who works for Médecins Sans Frontières, the French medical NGO that Jean-Christophe Rufin, who will carry out the report for TotalEnergies, used to lead.
Indeed, it has been a bloody week in Cabo Delgado, as the weekly Cabo Ligado report will outline when it comes out tomorrow night. For brief summaries of the latest incidents, however, see below.
Agenda:
Wednesday: Mozambique and South Africa’s interior ministers to meet to discuss violent attacks on Mozambican vehicles on South African roads
Wednesday: Swiss president Alain Berset begins an official visit to Mozambique, to include a visit to Cabo Delgado
The latest from Zitamar News:
Cabo Delgado insurgents kill up to 15 ‘Naparama’ fighters in Meluco clash
At least 14 fighters of the local militia known as ‘Naparama’ were killed in a clash with insurgents around the village of Iba in Meluco district on Tuesday. Four insurgents were also killed
From the Zitamar Live Blog:
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TotalEnergies says it will make a decision, along with its Mozambique LNG consortium partners, on whether "the conditions are met for resuming project activities" when they review a report into the humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado at the end of February.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said on a visit to Cabo Delgado today that he has appointed Jean-Christophe Rufin, "a recognized expert in humanitarian action and human rights," to carry out the assessment.
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 this mission will be delivered at the end of February," a TotalEnergies statement said.
The full statement is attached on our Telegram Channel.
💥 Conflict updates:
4 February 2023: Chapa, Mueda district, Cabo Delgado
At least two civilians were beheaded and several others kidnapped in an attack on Chapa in Mueda. Islamic State claimed to have killed five. The remaining residents fled and the village is now abandoned.
4 February 2023: N380 highway, Meluco district, Cabo Delgado
Several vehicles were ambushed along the N380 highway in Meluco, killing at least one man, a driver working for the humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières, who was on his way home to see family in Pemba.
4 February 2023: Namoro, Montepuez district, Cabo Delgado
Insurgents burned several homes and buildings in Namoro, near Nairoto village in Montepuez. No casualties have been reported so far.
Also in the news:
Filipe Nyusi says insurgent leader is Mozambican
Nyusi calls on diplomats to respect host countries’ sovereignty
Nyusi says he is seeking consensus to disable last Renamo base
André Mahunguane appointed Chief of Staff of the ‘Casa Militar’
EDM in negotiations with Mozal for power supply
Mozambican parliament puts district elections on the agenda
INGD says the impact of rain and wind is still weak
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