Mozambique's presidential frontrunner likely to keep Rwandans protecting gas sites
By Wendell Roelf
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 3 (Reuters) -Mozambique's ruling party candidate in this month's elections, who is almost certain to win, is likely to continue relying on Rwanda's military and European money to secure its huge gas fields in a region beset by Islamist violence, analysts say.
Campaigning under the slogan "let's get to work", ex-high school teacher Daniel Chapo, 47, is expected to oversee the building of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects currently on hold because of insecurity in northern Cabo Delgado province.
To achieve this, he must lean heavily on Rwanda's military, brought in by current President Felipe Nyusi in 2021 to bolster struggling local troops.
"The Rwandans are undeniably competent," Tertius Jacobs, lead analyst for Mozambique at risk consultancy Focus Group, said. "Mozambique ... has little to no better alternative."
Rwandan units, including special forces, are tasked with securing territory around the Afungi site where TotalEnergies TTEF.PA and ExxonMobil XOM.N plan LNG projects.
Nyusi's introducing Chapo to Rwandan president Paul Kagame in June was a nod to continuity, Jacobs said, amid civil society reports from Maputo that Rwandan security forces could build a new camp in Quissanga district to buffer against insurgent activity from the north, thereby enhancing security during elections.
Rwandan forces are shouldering larger responsibilities after regional southern African soldiers withdrew in July this year. A spokesperson did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Recent attacks by suspected Islamists include a February ambush that killed more than 20 Mozambican soldiers, helping displace tens of thousands of people in one of the worst skirmishes since 2021, when TotalEnergies halted its $20 billion project.
ExxonMobil's neighbouring project is also on hold, frustrating Mozambique's ambitions to become a major gas exporter.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne has said work could restart this year if security continues to improve, although funding is another concern.
ExxonMobil is expected to make a final investment decision by end-2025.
"Rwanda will remain the key. They have thousands of troops there to protect the LNG sites," Robert Besseling, CEO of consultancy Pangea-Risk said.
Already a major funder, the EU is mulling further support to Rwandan efforts to quell the insurgency, a spokesperson said.
"The fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado is a common fight," she said.
Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Tim Cocks and Alex Richardson
免责声明: XM Group仅提供在线交易平台的执行服务和访问权限，并允许个人查看和/或使用网站或网站所提供的内容，但无意进行任何更改或扩展，也不会更改或扩展其服务和访问权限。所有访问和使用权限，将受下列条款与条例约束：(i) 条款与条例；(ii) 风险提示；以及(iii) 完整免责声明。请注意，网站所提供的所有讯息，仅限一般资讯用途。此外，XM所有在线交易平台的内容并不构成，也不能被用于任何未经授权的金融市场交易邀约和/或邀请。金融市场交易对于您的投资资本含有重大风险。
所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。
本网站上由XM和第三方供应商所提供的所有内容，包括意见、新闻、研究、分析、价格、其他资讯和第三方网站链接，皆保持不变，并作为一般市场评论所提供，而非投资性建议。所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为适用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。请确保您已阅读并完全理解，XM非独立投资研究提示和风险提示相关资讯，更多详情请点击 这里。
