(MENAFN) The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) lodged a criminal complaint in France on Monday targeting TotalEnergies, claiming the oil and gas corporation is complicit in war crimes, torture, and enforced disappearances in Mozambique, the human rights organization revealed on Tuesday.

According to ECCHR, "The oil and gas major is accused of having directly financed and materially supported the Joint Task Force, composed of Mozambican armed forces, which between July and September 2021 allegedly detained, tortured and killed dozens of civilians on TotalEnergies’ gas site."

The group emphasized this accusation in an official statement.

The organization specified that the complaint was submitted to the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor, which is also authorized to investigate crimes of an international nature.

The statement further highlighted, "This filing comes as TotalEnergies just announced the lifting of the force majeure declared in April 2021 on its liquified natural gas project, Mozambique LNG, despite a persistent conflict, intensifying deadly attacks and a major humanitarian crisis."

The focus of the complaint centers on the so-called “container massacre” at TotalEnergies’ site, referencing an “insurgent attack” on Palma town carried out by the armed group Al-Shabab in March and April 2021.

ECCHR detailed, "The Mozambican army – including members of the Joint Task Force supported by TotalEnergies – allegedly arbitrarily detained dozens of civilians in metal containers situated at the facility entrance between July and September 2021."

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