“This will include the role of the various security actors in the region and their relationship with project owner Total.”
According to the POLITICO report, the Mozambican military unit herded between 180 and 250 people into containers at the French company’s gatehouse and kept them there for three months. Only 26 men survived the ordeal; 97 of the victims have been identified.
The revelations sparked criticism from French and European lawmakers, and although the company’s Mozambican subsidiary said it had “not identified any information or evidence that would corroborate the allegations,” the French company delayed its gas project in the African country.
The launch of an independent investigation by the Dutch side could also be seen as a serious signal regarding the validity of the “no evidence” claims.
The Dutch government is providing export support to Dutch company Van Oord to build a pipeline for the LNG project in Mozambique, but has halted the support while the project is on hold.
The results of the independent investigation will be presented to the Dutch House of Representatives before the Dutch government decides whether to extend export support for the project.
The Mozambican Attorney General’s Office also launched an investigation on Tuesday, opening a criminal case into allegations of kidnapping, rape and murder against members of the security services who guarded the TotalEnergies facility.