TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Secure US Approval for RDF Cooperation in Mozambique
The United States has effectively eased the practical impact of sanctions imposed on the Rwanda Defence Force, highlighting the growing recognition among Western powers and multinational corporations that large-scale strategic investments in Africa increasingly depend on Rwanda’s military and security capabilities.
According to reports published by Africa Intelligence, Washington quietly granted exemptions allowing TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil to continue cooperating with Rwandan forces deployed in northern Mozambique, despite sanctions announced earlier this year over Kigali’s alleged links to the M23 rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The waiver, reportedly approved by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in April, underscores the strategic dilemma facing Western governments seeking to pressure Rwanda diplomatically while simultaneously relying on its military presence to secure billions of dollars in energy infrastructure threatened by insurgent violence.
At the center of the issue are the Mozambique LNG and Rovuma LNG megaprojects — among the largest gas developments on the African continent — operated respectively by TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil in Cabo Delgado Province.
Industry and security experts say the projects would face severe operational risks without the continued deployment of roughly 5,000 Rwandan troops who have been stationed in Mozambique since July 2021 under a bilateral security arrangement with Maputo.
Since their arrival, Rwandan forces have played a decisive role in pushing back Islamist insurgents linked to the Islamic State group, helping Mozambican authorities regain control of strategic towns and reopening conditions for foreign energy operations that had been suspended following waves of deadly attacks.
The latest U.S. exemption is widely viewed by analysts as an implicit acknowledgment that neither American nor European corporate interests in parts of Africa can currently function effectively without reliable regional security partners capable of rapid intervention.
Despite the sanctions framework formally remaining in place, the OFAC waiver allows the two multinational companies to continue benefiting from RDF protection around critical gas infrastructure and construction zones, particularly on the Afungi Peninsula, where liquefaction facilities are under development.
The decision also exposes growing contradictions within Western foreign policy toward Central and East Africa. While Washington and several European governments continue accusing Kigali of backing the M23 rebel movement in eastern Congo — allegations Rwanda consistently denies — the same powers remain dependent on Rwanda’s military effectiveness in other regional security theatres.
According to Africa Intelligence, ExxonMobil engaged in intense diplomatic lobbying efforts to preserve its operational cooperation with Rwanda. The company reportedly dispatched multiple delegations to Kigali led by Walter Kansteiner, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and a senior figure linked to ExxonMobil’s African operations.
The negotiations ultimately resulted in authorization for Rwandan troops to remain deployed throughout the construction phase of major LNG infrastructure projects.
For Kigali, the development reinforces Rwanda’s increasingly influential role as a regional security actor whose military partnerships have become deeply intertwined with Western economic and strategic interests across Africa.
