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Just thinking about the why's and dynamics of the U.S. in Mozambique. Bc the U.S. govt. and it's coordinating capitalist powers are not charitable, and frankly don't actually give a shit about harm done by groups like ISIL. So we follow the money...
Souce: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/world/africa/mozambique-american-troops-isis-insurgency.html
Souce: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/world/africa/mozambique-american-troops-isis-insurgency.html
As far back as 2011 Moz. discovered vast tons (40 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas offshore in Rovuma Basin. One of the largest early investors (in 2010-11) was Anadarko Petro a U.S. company aquired in 2019 by Occidental Petro one of... Source: https://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/112467/mozambique_exploration_pays_off_big_time/
...the largest petroleum prospectors and generators in Texas. It's also a company with 233 recorded violations (environmental, govt. contract, and safety related) since 2000 costing over 5 billion dollars.
Source: https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/occidental-petroleum
Source: https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/occidental-petroleum
Then in 2016 Exxon spoke of brokering agreements in the Basin. And in 2019 Anadarko's share of the project was taken over by Total SE a French company... https://www.worldoil.com/news/2016/6/29/exxon-said-to-eye-gas-deal-that-may-ease-mozambique-debt-crisis
...with 132 violations (environmental, competition and govt. contract related) including 2 foreign corrupt practices violations, one of which was paying off an official in Iran for valabue oil and gas concessions.
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/total-sa
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/total-sa
But back to Mozambique. In 2016 the govt. defaulted on various bonds and loans owed to the IMF (debt worsened by 1 billion in undisclosed loans). A deadlock began over the govt. wishing to restucture the debt and the IMF insisting the govt. be audited and put into an IMF program.
This source has a paywall, if in need of a summary feel free to ask.
Source: https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2017/01/21/mozambiques-default
Source: https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2017/01/21/mozambiques-default
Now, after all of this international news of terrorist attacks sparked off in the country in late 2017 due to attacks in Cabo Delagado, a region in the North of Moz. aligning with area inland of the Rovyma Basin.
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurgency_in_Cabo_Delgado
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurgency_in_Cabo_Delgado
It hasn't been until recently (2021) the U.S. has publically sent troops to stop the "spread of terrorism" (derogatory) in Moz. of course this news comes AFTER Total signed their 14.9 BILLION dollar financing deal in July 2020.
Source: https://www.theafricareport.com/57551/mozambique-how-total-plans-to-protects-its-15bn-major-gas-project/
Source: https://www.theafricareport.com/57551/mozambique-how-total-plans-to-protects-its-15bn-major-gas-project/
I'm not saying the anyone planted or funded ISIL in the region (tho the U.S. did similar things before). But I am saying pressure from unaddressed debt, lack of resources/funds, and violent attacks on the public are potent tools used by every govt. involved here to coerce others.
I am saying the U.S. govt. and other Euro countries have never been charitable parties. And that the U.S. only cares to step in now because of the money and resources to be plundered (Exxon gets to lead this project).
Now Moz. has revised it's national policy on oil/gas (concerning stakes, profits and investment) and the govt. has a state owned hydrocarbon company to represent the nation. But I do wonder if, as in the U.S., how much of these billions will mozambican folk see?
I wonder just who (or shall I say what) will the U.S. and other armed forces be protecting? The people against "the spread of terrorism" or the plants and pipelines full of veritbale liquid gold?
Just how much will the thousands of workers, 80% of whom will be mozambican, be compensated? Just how safe will these off shore drilling operations be? And which of these companies and their parent nations (U.S., France, Portugal) have ever done right by Black African people?
The list of companies is looking a little familiar... (read: neo colonial). This shit ain't never stopped.
For posterity, the jumping off point of research here.
Source: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2017/02/16/agi-markets-monitor-opec-reaches-oil-deal-mozambique-defaults-and-nigeria-manages-its-exchange-rate/
Source: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2017/02/16/agi-markets-monitor-opec-reaches-oil-deal-mozambique-defaults-and-nigeria-manages-its-exchange-rate/
