Monday, August 8, 2022
  • Login
Upgrade
The Southern African Times
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs
No Result
View All Result
The Southern African Times
No Result
View All Result
Home Just In

Total shuts down gas plant after Mozambique jihadist attacks

by SAT Reporter
April 3, 2021
in Just In, Mozambique
0
Total shuts down gas plant after Mozambique jihadist attacks
0
VIEWS

HARARE, (The Southern African Times) – French energy giant Total has closed its operations and pulled out all staff from a site in northern Mozambique following a devastating jihadist attack in the area, according to security sources.

FILE PHOTO: A photo of French oil and gas company Total logo at an exhibition forum. (Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images)

“Total has gone,” a security source in the capital Maputo told AFP, adding that “it will be hard to persuade them to return” this year.

Meanwhile, a military source added, “all the facilities are abandoned.”

“Total made a decision to evacuate all of its staff”, after drone surveillance showed insurgents were in areas “very close” to the gas plant in Afungi.

Another source confirmed the reports, that insurgents were not far from the site.

Afungi peninsula is only 10 kilometres (six miles) from the town of Palma, which came under attack more than a week ago, resulting in the death of dozens of people, including at least two expatriate workers.

The brazen assault on March 24 was the latest in a string of more than 830 organised raids by the Islamist militants over the past three years during which more than 2,600 people have died.

Total had already evacuated some staff and suspended construction work in late December 2020 following a series of violent attacks near its compound.

But last week’s raid is seen as the biggest escalation of the Islamist insurgency ravaging Cabo Delgado province since 2017.

Many civilian survivors fled their homes flocking towards the heavily secured gas plant.

An estimated 15,000 people have gathered near the site, while more are still arriving and “security is compromised”, said another source.

The humanitarian “situation continues to deteriorate,” added the source.

Total’s clear-out came as Afungi army commander Chongo Vidigal declared on Thursday the gas project was “protected”.

“We are currently in the special area in Afungi and never had a terrorism threat,” he said.

Total did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Most means of communication were cut after the Palma onslaught began.

Thousands of troops have been deployed to Cabo Delgado, but Mozambique’s ability to fight the insurgency has long been questioned, with analysts pointing to poor training and lack of equipment.

Government security forces are also bolstered by a South African private military company, Dyck Advisory Group (DAG).

Total and its partners planned to invest $20 billion in the project, the largest amount ever for a project in Africa.

In February, Total chief executive Patrick Pouyanne insisted that the project, which it inherited from the US energy firm Anadarko, was still on track to begin operations in 2024.

He said this having reached agreement with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi to set up a 25-kilometre (15-mile) radius secure zone around the site.

But last week the jihadists attacked, just 10 kilometres from the compound and reportedly beheaded residents and ransacked buildings in the latest rampage.

Hundreds, including many foreign workers, have been evacuated by air and sea while thousands of locals walked to safety.

The UN said it has recorded at least 9,100 people internally displaced by the latest violence.

The violence has uprooted nearly 700,000 people from their homes since October 2017.

Cabo Delgado’s jihadists have wreaked havoc across the province with the aim of establishing a caliphate.

The insurgents are affiliated with the Islamic State group, which claimed the Palma attack.

Previous Post

IMF approves $2.34 billion in new financing arrangements for Kenya

Next Post

Mastercard invests $100 million in Africa Airtel’s mobile money unit

SAT Reporter

Related Posts

Kenya commences shipment of fresh avocados to Chinese market
Business

Kenya commences shipment of fresh avocados to Chinese market

by SAT Reporter
August 3, 2022
US Appoints New Consul General for Lagos
Nigeria

US Appoints New Consul General for Lagos

by SAT Reporter
August 2, 2022
Russia and the West are vying for influence in Africa and Ukraine is a big reason why
International news

Russia and the West are vying for influence in Africa and Ukraine is a big reason why

by SAT Reporter
August 1, 2022
South Africa’s ruling party proposes to nationalise the Reserve Bank
South Africa

South Africa’s ruling party proposes to nationalise the Reserve Bank

by SAT Reporter
August 1, 2022
Zimbabwe to host high-level forum on debt resolution

Zimbabwe to host high-level forum on debt resolution

by SAT Reporter
July 29, 2022
Next Post
Mastercard invests $100 million in Africa Airtel’s mobile money unit

Mastercard invests $100 million in Africa Airtel’s mobile money unit

Premium Content

France asks airlines to help citizens stuck in Morocco

France asks airlines to help citizens stuck in Morocco

March 16, 2020
South Africa’s Biggest Drug Maker, Aspen agrees initial deal to make J&J vaccine candidate

South Africa’s Biggest Drug Maker, Aspen agrees initial deal to make J&J vaccine candidate

November 2, 2020
SA’s Emirates Lions make winning start to United Rugby Championship campaign

SA’s Emirates Lions make winning start to United Rugby Championship campaign

September 26, 2021

Browse by Category

  • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • African Start ups
  • Algeria
  • Analysis
  • Angola
  • Asia
  • Botswana
  • BOTSWANA
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cameroon
  • Central Africa
  • China
  • Climate Change
  • Climate Changev
  • Congo Republic
  • COVID 19
  • Culture
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Eastern Africa
  • Education
  • Egypt
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Ethiopia
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Food and Drink
  • Foods
  • Ghana
  • Global
  • Guinea
  • Health
  • Immigration
  • in Southern Africa
  • International news
  • Just In
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Libya
  • Life Style
  • Lifestyle
  • Malawi
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Markets
  • Middle East
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • North Africa
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Sports
  • Startup Africa
  • STOCK EXCHANGE
  • Tanzania
  • Tech
  • Togo
  • Travel
  • Travel
  • Tunisia
  • Uganda
  • Uncategorized
  • West Africa
  • World
  • World
  • ZAMBIA
  • Zambia
  • ZIMBABWE
  • Zimbabwe

Browse by Tags

africa African business news Africa New Africa News african footballer African investments african markets African news African start-up banking Business China Classic Climate change Content currency Explore Bali Finance football Investment Life Style Markets Market Stories Namibia news Oilandgas oil and gas Opinion Pandemic Politics Premium Russia South Africa Southern African News sports Stay Home Travel United Kingdom United Stated Vaccine Work From Home Wuhan Zambia Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Harare Manufacturing Africa Employment creationn

WHO WE ARE

The Southern African Times is a regional bloc digital newspaper that covers Southern African and the world news. The paper also gives a nuanced analysis on news and covers a wide range of reporting which include sports, entertainment, foreign affairs, arts and culture.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Rss

Copyright © 2022 The Southern African Times | Powered by The Southern African Times

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?