Page 9 - GLNG Week 50 2020

GLNG COMMENTARY GLNG

Security concerns mounting

in Mozambique

LNG projects facing more risk because of Islamists’ continued clashes with

the Mozambican armed forces and the swelling number of refugees

POLICY SECURITY issues have been a concern for another village in the same district.
Total (France), Eni (Italy) and other interna- ASWJ then mounted another offensive last
WHAT: tional oil companies (IOCs) pursuing natural week in Mute, located in the Palma district of
ASWJ has stepped up gas development and liquefaction projects in Cabo Delgado. FADM responded by send-
attempts to gain territory Mozambique for some time. Since 2017, that ing soldiers to the village, which is just 20 km
in the northern Cabo country’s northern Cabo Delgado Province has away from the site where Total is building the
Delgado Province. been racked by conflict between Ahlu Sunnah Mozambique LNG plant. After several days of
Wa-Jamo (ASWJ), a separatist group that has combat, it was able to expel the militants with air
WHY: links to the Islamic State (Daesh), and the armed support from Dyck Advisory Group, a private
The separatist group forces, known as Forças Armadas de Defesa de South African security firm that has been aiding
is targeting areas near Moçambique (FADM). the Mozambican government.
Mozambique LNG’s Conditions took a turn for the worse earlier The fighting was intense enough to force Total
liquefaction plant. in August of this year, when ASWJ fighters to suspend construction for several days, AFP
took control of Mocímboa da Praia, a port in reported on December 11, citing Mozambican
WHAT NEXT: Cabo Delgado that Total and its partners had sources. The French company did not confirm
If the conflict spreads been using as a delivery point for the equipment the report, but it did tell the news agency that it
across the region, it could needed to build the Mozambique LNG plant was “closely monitoring” the situation in north-
disrupt billions of dollars on the Afungi Peninsula. The French major ern Mozambique.
in LNG investments. responded to this development by redirecting
its shipments to another point, and work on the More conflict likely
LNG plant continued. Meanwhile, the conflict is hardly over.
Nevertheless, concerns about the possibil- Despite its recovery of Mute and other sites,
ity of disruption to the project have lingered. FADM has not been able to deprive of ASWJ of
Indeed, they have probably grown in recent control over the entirety of the Cabo Delgado
weeks, as ASWJ has stepped up its campaign province. This is not likely to change any time
to seize territory in Cabo Delgado. FADM soon, especially since Mozambique’s military
did announce on November 20 that it had forces are not trained well and are not respected
succeeded in retaking a village in Muidumbe enough in Cabo Delgado to win much sympa-
district, but other sources reported on Novem- thy from the local population
ber 29 that the Islamist group appeared to be At the same time, the Islamist group has
responsible for an attack that killed at least 25 remained determined to seize as much territory
soldiers and injured 15 more in Matambalale, as possible – and has shown that it is willing

Week 50 18•December•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P9