PEMBA, MOZAMBIQUE

In March 2021, the deteriorating security situation in the Pemba Province of Mozambique reached a climax when large numbers of ISIS insurgents conducted an organised and systematic attack on the local town and the Total Afungi LNG plant. The attack was sustained over many days indiscriminately targeting military forces and large numbers of civilians. This was to be the second deadliest terrorist attack in history, after 9/11.  The severity of the attack and a vulnerable local road network required alternative evacuation options, as air evacuation alone was insufficient.

Ambrey was already contracted to provide marine Emergency Response services to Total. The Ambrey Evacuation Plan dovetailed into an overarching, multi-dimensional security operation supported by the Mozambique military and several vessels had already been mobilised to the area to support that plan. With the onset of the crisis the crews were reinforced with rapidly deployed maritime safety and evacuation officers to coordinate operations.

Within 7 days Ambrey mobilized the project team, and the vessels safely evacuated nearly 4500 Total staff, contractors and civilians from the LNG plant in Afungi bay and the beaches of Palma in Afungi bay. The evacuations were conducted whilst under indirect fire from the terrorists. This was the largest marine evacuation under fire since Dunkirk in 1940.