Mozambique said its security forces repelled an attack by Islamist insurgents on a town close to the site where Total SE is building a $20 billion natural gas facility.
Bloomberg reported the country’s Ministry of Defence saying the attack took place about 21 kilometres (13 miles) from Total’s project overnight on Wednesday and is the second this month on the town of Mute in the northern Cabo Delgado province.
The insurgents, who have aligned with Islamic State, seized the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, about 42 kilometres south of Mute in August.
The conflict has already killed about 2,500 people and caused 570,000 to flee their homes since it started three years ago and the latest attack on the natural gas facility may derail the investment.
Mozambique’s government has struggled to contain the insurgency and President Filipe Nyusi has faced criticism for refusing outside help.
Leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are set to meet in January to agree on a plan to prevent the conflict from spilling across Mozambique’s borders.
