Brothers Accuse French Oil Firm of 'Contempt' After Contractor's Death in Mozambique

The brothers of a British contractor killed during an ISIS-backed terrorist attack in Mozambique have accused the French energy giant TotalEnergies of showing "contempt" and allowing their sibling to "die." An inquest concluded that the corporation had "no responsibility" to stage a rescue for Philip Mawer, who died in March 2021.

Bill and Mark Mawer expressed deep disappointment with the outcome, stating they still have unanswered questions about the death of their "fantastic" and "entertaining" younger brother. Philip Mawer, 58, had been working as a project manager for RA International, a company contracted to build accommodation for what was described as "the largest gas operation in Africa," operated by TotalEnergies.

During the militant ambush on the coastal town of Palma, Mawer gallantly gave up his seat on a rescue helicopter, insisting that women and children be evacuated first. He also refused a seat in an armored vehicle fleeing the Amarula Hotel, opting instead to take his own "soft-skin" vehicle in a convoy. His vehicle was later hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting in his death.

TotalEnergies has faced accusations of hampering rescue efforts and refusing to provide fuel to a private firm contracted by the Mozambique government to combat rebels and rescue survivors. The inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court heard that Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg ruled he lacked the evidence to establish corporate responsibility for evacuation.

The Mawer brothers criticized TotalEnergies for not providing a full explanation as to why it refused to supply fuel to Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), a private military contractor that had been conducting rescues from the besieged hotel. They also condemned the company for not sending a representative to the inquest, calling its decision to send a brief statement instead "disrespectful."

"We believe there has not been 'adequate scrutiny of the decisions and circumstances which left Mr Mawer and so many others at risk of their lives in the Amarula Hotel'," the brothers stated. They added that Total's approach to the inquest "has shown contempt for the court, the family and the death of our brother Philip."

Bill Mawer, 68, a retired businessman and former Army member, and Mark Mawer, 66, a retired dentist, highlighted that their brother Philip was a widower who had immersed himself in his work after his wife's death. "We were hoping for a different conclusion from the coroner. It feels like the companies’ damage limitation exercise has been to some extent a success," Bill Mawer said.

Mark Mawer added, "I want to say I feel battered and bruised by it." Bill continued, "We came here because we have been wanting to be heard. It’s been five and a half years."

Their questions, they explained, focused on how Philip ended up in such a dangerous situation, why the project was restarted given the risks, why Total refused fuel, and "Why was our brother allowed to die so close to such a secure compound and military force?"

TotalEnergies' Mozambican subsidiary, TEPMA1, was criticized during the inquest for refusing fuel to DAG and for allegedly blocking an SAS rescue attempt. The inquest also noted that the hotel's manager and two dogs were rescued shortly before Mawer's death.

Lawyers for the Mawer family argued that TEPMA1 had assumed responsibility for the contractors' safety by implying the area was secure, and failed in this responsibility by withholding fuel for rescue attempts that could have saved his life. TEPMA1 has denied any such responsibility.

"We felt there was some degree of causality between the denial of fuel and the fact the rescue efforts stopped, and that’s what led to them leaving in an unsafe convoy," Bill Mawer stated. He added that an individual in charge of operations on the ground and helicopters was available to testify but was not invited to the inquest, and his evidence would have pointed to a higher degree of causality.

TEPMA1 denied responsibility for Mawer, citing concerns about DAG's links to human rights abuses as a reason for not releasing fuel. However, Bill Mawer countered that Total had previously allowed DAG to conduct survey flights and provide cover for beach evacuations. "And there was a lot of discussion in court about legal duty and maybe they didn’t have one. If someone falls into a pond do you have a legal duty to help them? But for someone working on their project in that situation and they did nothing - it seems inhumane," he said.

The brothers reiterated that Total's absence from the inquest and reliance on a statement created "an unfairness and imbalance," preventing them from questioning the company about fuel provisions. TotalEnergies declined to comment on the matter.