Maputo, Aug. 26, 2026 (Lusa) - The chair of Mozambique's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) argued on Wednesday that the resumption of the Rovuma LNG project in Cabo Delgado must address previous shortcomings by strengthening the involvement of, and providing tangible benefits to, local communities and businesses.
During a meeting on business and human rights in Maputo, dedicated to the implications, expectations and realities associated with the resumption of major natural gas projects in the Rovuma Basin – with particular focus on the Rovuma LNG project, led by the US-based company ExxonMobil – the CNDH head, Albachir Macassar, stated that this process should not mean a return to the status quo.
«The resumption of Rovuma LNG should not mean a return to the point at which the project stalled; it should be an opportunity to start afresh, having learnt from the past,» said Macassar, arguing that the investment has the potential to generate revenue, employment, skills and opportunities for national companies.
Suspended in 2021 due to terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado, with the Final Investment Decision (FID) expected to be signed later this year, it is one of the largest natural gas projects in Africa. It also represents, Macassar added, an opportunity to incorporate the lessons learnt from previous experience and improve relations between companies, the state and local communities.
«It is not enough to measure tonnes of gas, investment mobilised or jobs announced; we need to know how many young people from Cabo Delgado are actually able to access employment, and how many national companies are sustainably integrated into the supply chain,» he added.
Hermenegildo Mulhovo, director of the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), the organisation that hosted the event, warned, for his part, of the disconnect between the opportunities created by large-scale projects and the capacity of Mozambican companies and workers to meet the requirements set by investors – a situation that could fuel frustration and conflict.
«Companies offer opportunities in terms of employment and business, but the capacity to access these opportunities – precisely because of the high standards these companies demand – is severely lacking at the national level,» said Mulhovo, calling for the strengthening of national skills and greater access to information on the opportunities available.
The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Isaque Chande, argued that the State, companies, communities and civil society organisations must share responsibility for the project's implementation, taking into account the security challenges and the risks of human rights violations in Cabo Delgado.
«The implementation of the LNG project in the Rovuma Basin should contribute significantly to the restoration of public security,» said Chande, also calling for the ongoing training of defence and police forces in human rights and international humanitarian law.
The meeting also recommended accessible mechanisms for dialogue, complaints and early warning within communities, as well as monitoring of social and human rights impacts. The CNDH argued that the protection of facilities and workers must go hand in hand with the protection of local communities, respect for the rule of law and accountability mechanisms.
On 14 August, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) estimated that local content associated with the project could generate income for two million Mozambicans and business opportunities for 10,000 companies.
In an interview with Lusa in July, the Mozambican president, Daniel Chapo, expressed his expectation that the final investment decision would be taken in September, describing the Rovuma LNG project as «the largest private investment project on the African continent», valued at around $20 billion (€17.2 billion).
The development involves the construction of 12 liquefaction modules, with a combined capacity to produce 18.6 million tonnes of LNG per year, with operational commencement scheduled for 2031.
In November, ExxonMobil lifted the force majeure declaration that had kept the project on hold since the armed attacks in Cabo Delgado in 2021, as had been the case with the other adjacent natural gas megaproject in Afungi, led by TotalEnergies.
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