An Irish project manager has described waiting in fear for rescue during the 2021 jihadist attack on Palma, Mozambique, telling an inquest that workers knew help was not coming after a day of intense gunfire and explosions. Gordon James Rhattigan was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of his friend and colleague Philip Mawer, a British contractor killed while trying to escape the assault.
What happened in the Mozambique attack?
The attack began on March 24th, 2021, when insurgents linked to Islamic State, locally known as Al-Shabaab, entered Palma in Cabo Delgado province. The town was close to TotalEnergies’ major liquefied natural gas development, a project involving thousands of workers and contractors.
Rhattigan told the court that the day initially appeared ordinary. Mawer collected him from the airport, brought him to the Amarula Hotel and then travelled with him towards the accommodation camp where Rhattigan worked. Mawer later returned to the hotel, while Rhattigan stayed at the camp.
Within hours, the security situation deteriorated. Workers were instructed to gather, return to the hotel and then remain inside the camp with doors locked. Communications were cut approximately half an hour after the attack began.
‘We knew we weren’t being rescued’
Rhattigan said he and his colleagues sheltered overnight as fighting continued around them. He described the sound of heavy gunfire and explosions and said he cut openings in the camp perimeter so workers could escape into surrounding jungle if the compound was breached.
“We knew we weren’t being rescued” after the first day, he told the coroner’s court, according to evidence presented during the hearing.
Mawer, aged 58 and from Shaftesbury in England, had sent Rhattigan messages during the first day of the attack. One told him not to leave the camp. Another said Mawer had been in contact with TotalEnergies and that an armed convoy was expected to collect the workers the following morning.
Rhattigan said that convoy never arrived. TotalEnergies disputes that account.
- The attack took place in Palma, Cabo Delgado, in March 2021.
- Rhattigan helped evacuate 192 colleagues from an accommodation camp.
- Philip Mawer died after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
- The coroner recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing.
How 192 workers escaped
On the second day, the workforce left the camp in a convoy guided by the Mozambican military. The group travelled along old roads and dirt tracks towards the Afungi peninsula, where TotalEnergies’ main LNG compound was located.
Rhattigan told the inquest that he approached security at the compound and said the group was expected and would be given sanctuary. After questioning whether he trusted everyone in the buses, security allowed all 192 people inside after approximately an hour.
He said local residents were later turned away while contractors remained at the site. Helicopters collected Rhattigan and the other surviving contractors three days later.
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Philip Mawer’s death and the coroner’s ruling
Mawer was a senior leader working for Dubai-based contractor RA International Group, which had been involved in construction and operational support for the LNG project. He was killed when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle he was using to flee the attack.
Coroner Jason Peggs concluded that Mawer died as a result of unlawful killing. The inquest also heard evidence from Detective Chief Inspector Patrick Allen of the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism command, who described the assault as the biggest terror attack since the September 11th attacks. The evidence stated that 1,354 people were killed.
Remembering his colleague, Rhattigan described Mawer as kind, funny, down-to-earth and honest.
Questions over security and rescue arrangements
The inquest examined whether the threat around Palma had been properly understood before the attack and whether adequate arrangements were in place to evacuate workers.
Evidence for Mawer’s family indicated that the danger in Cabo Delgado had been rising for months. An intelligence report referred to the seizure of Vamizi island, approximately 25 kilometres from Palma, by Islamic State-linked insurgents six months before the attack. The province had also experienced earlier atrocities, including the killing of about 50 people in April 2020.
TotalEnergies had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mozambican government in August 2020 to establish a joint security task force for the LNG project. The company has faced scrutiny over its response to the deteriorating security environment.
The court heard allegations that TotalEnergies refused to provide aviation fuel for helicopters that could have assisted in rescuing Mawer. Adam Payter, representing the company’s Mozambican subsidiary, disputed that evidence.
TotalEnergies also argued that its subsidiary, TEMPA1, did not have a duty to protect people who were not its employees and remained outside its operational area. In a statement following the inquest, the company said the coroner’s conclusions made no finding against TEMPA1 or TotalEnergies.
What happens to the Mozambique LNG project?
The Mozambique LNG project was suspended after the Palma attack. Construction resumed earlier in 2026, and production is expected to begin in 2029.
The development remains economically significant for Mozambique, but the attack has also highlighted the security risks surrounding large energy projects in conflict-affected regions. For companies operating abroad, the case raises wider questions about intelligence sharing, evacuation planning, contractor responsibility and cooperation between private operators and national authorities.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Philip Mawer?
Philip Mawer was a 58-year-old British contractor from Shaftesbury, England. He worked for RA International Group and held a senior operational role connected to the Mozambique LNG project.
Where did the attack happen?
The attack occurred in Palma, in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, near the TotalEnergies LNG development.
How did Gordon Rhattigan survive?
Rhattigan helped lead 192 workers from their accommodation camp to the Afungi peninsula. He was later evacuated by helicopter with other surviving contractors.
What did the inquest conclude?
Coroner Jason Peggs ruled that Mawer died by unlawful killing. TotalEnergies said the conclusion did not make a finding against the company or its Mozambican subsidiary.
Why this case matters
The evidence at the inquest provides a detailed account of how workers were left navigating a rapidly unfolding militant attack with limited communication and no confirmed rescue convoy. It also places renewed focus on the responsibilities of companies managing major projects in regions where security threats are known to be escalating.
For Mawer’s family and former colleagues, the hearing has offered a public examination of the circumstances surrounding his death. For the energy industry, the case is a reminder that evacuation plans, reliable communications and clearly defined security responsibilities can be as important as the project itself.
The central takeaway from this Breaking News report is that the Palma attack was not only a devastating act of terrorism; it exposed the potentially fatal consequences of inadequate coordination when workers are trapped in a conflict zone.
