The family of a British contractor killed during an Islamist insurgent siege in Mozambique has criticized the security measures and response of the energy company overseeing the nearby natural gas project. Philip Mawer, 58, was subcontracted to manage the construction of staff accommodations for TotalEnergies’ £14 billion gas site near Palma when he was killed in March 2021.

Mawer was staying at the Amarula Hotel in Palma when al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on March 24, 2021. The hotel was besieged, and two days later Mawer was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade while attempting to escape as part of a convoy. An inquest held in Winchester heard that Mawer had refused evacuation seats in armed helicopters and armoured vehicles to allow women and children to leave first. The coroner ruled that Mawer was “unlawfully killed” and noted his decision to give up evacuation seats contributed to his death.

Mawer’s brothers, Bill and Mark, expressed disappointment and frustration at the response by TotalEnergies and their security arrangements. They questioned why, despite the presence of attack helicopters, armoured vehicles, and hundreds of Mozambican troops stationed within TotalEnergies’ secure gas plant perimeter—approximately nine miles from the hotel—no attempt was made to intervene or conduct a rescue.

Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies’ chairman and chief executive, had previously told investors in early February 2021 that the company faced security challenges but maintained a “clear plan” to secure an area of 25 kilometers around the project. He emphasized that the highest priority was the safety not only of TotalEnergies staff but also of partner personnel working on the ground.

However, during the inquest, Total’s Mozambican subsidiary, TEPMAL, denied responsibility for rescuing Mawer, citing that he was subcontracted and was outside the secure perimeter when attacked. TEPMAL also stated it declined to provide fuel and logistical support to the Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), a South African private military contractor hired by Mozambique’s Ministry of the Interior and police to combat the insurgents. DAG conducted evacuation flights from the Amarula Hotel and testified it could have increased evacuation efforts had it been allowed to refuel closer to the site, at Total’s Afungi base, rather than at Pemba, 260 miles away.

The company justified withholding fuel by referencing allegations of human rights abuses against DAG. The Mawer family criticized this decision as “callous,” highlighting that terrorists were reportedly executing civilians near the hotel while no rescue attempts were made. Bill Mawer, a retired defence and aerospace professional, expressed his frustration that the reasons behind the refusal to support DAG were not thoroughly addressed during the inquest.

The case has raised broader questions about corporate responsibility for the security of subcontracted workers in conflict zones and the adequacy of crisis response amid escalating insurgency threats in northern Mozambique. While the coroner’s findings concluded TotalEnergies bore no legal liability for the events, the Mawer family continues to seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding the lack of intervention during the siege.