I am not sure what this is about, and I ran across it on Gateway Pundit, a right wing site that has a lot of gossip on it.
French President Macron wants European companies to end all American investments.
— Daniel Turner (@DanielTurnerPTF) April 4, 2025
Two can play this game, Emmanuel.
President @realDonaldTrump should immediately cancel the $5 billion U.S. loan for France's TotalEnergies African LNG project. pic.twitter.com/HYoTPFALe0
it seems to rfer to this loan approved last week to Mozambique:
US approves $5 billion loan to TotalEnergies for Mozambique gas project By Reuters March 15, 202
So I asked Grok to summarize all the recent articles on what is going on:
The U.S. approval of a nearly $5 billion loan to TotalEnergies for its Mozambique gas project refers to a decision by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) in March 2025 to reapprove funding for the long-delayed Mozambique LNG project.
This project, valued at $20 billion, is led by the French energy giant TotalEnergies, which holds a 26.5% operating stake.
The loan, initially approved in 2019 during Donald Trump’s first administration as a $4.7 billion commitment, required reapproval after construction halted in 2021 due to violent unrest in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado region, triggered by an insurgency linked to Islamic State militants.
so the project was not halted by the DOGE vs the French, but because terrorists were attacking it.
The halt led TotalEnergies to declare force majeure, freezing the project before any funds were disbursed.
The project aims to tap into vast natural gas reserves—estimated at 65 trillion cubic feet—in the Rovuma Offshore Area 1, positioning Mozambique as a major LNG producer.
Security improvements since 2021, bolstered by regional forces including Rwandan security guarantees, and renegotiations with contractors, paved the way for the EXIM board’s decision on March 13, 2025, to reinstate the loan.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne had anticipated this move, noting in February 2025 that U.S. financing was expected soon, with other export credit agencies (UK and Dutch) likely to follow. The project’s revival is seen as critical for Mozambique’s economic development, with its sovereign dollar bond rising over 2 cents after the announcement.
However, recent discussions about canceling this loan stem from geopolitical tensions in April 2025.
Posts on X and media reports suggest that Richard Grenell, a key Trump advisor, proposed scrapping the $5 billion loan in retaliation to French President Emmanuel Macron’s call to suspend future European investments in the U.S. Macron’s statement came after Trump imposed tariffs on April 2, 2025, prompting a tit-for-tat escalation. Grenell’s suggestion aligns with a broader push for U.S. energy dominance, arguing that funds should prioritize American LNG leadership rather than foreign projects like TotalEnergies’ in Mozambique.
Some X posts reflect sentiment that canceling the loan would signal U.S. resolve, though no official cancellation has been confirmed as of April 5, 2025.
so still only gossip and innuendo.
But what about attacks on the site? And is a lot of the money going to middle men and local corruption instead of actually drilling for gas? Nothing mentioned here, but much of the DOGE cancelations of foreign aide had more to do with middle men/NGOs siphoning off money and corruption that led to donations being diverted or stolen. But no information on this project.
The idea of cancellation remains speculative, driven by political posturing rather than finalized policy.
The loan’s status is still active per the latest reports from March 2025, and TotalEnergies continues preparations to resume construction, with commercial operations eyed for 2028 or later.
WTF: It is about global warming. I guess it's okay for folk in Mozambique to starve so the Euroweenies and their climate change gods can be obeyed.
Critics of the project, including environmental and human rights groups, have long opposed it, citing climate impacts—potentially 121 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually—and alleged abuses tied to the conflict zone, complicating the narrative around its funding.
that last part? well, remember that the human rights folks thought arresting Duterte for fighting the drug gangs who were causing chaos here in the Philippines was what should be done, Abuses in conflict zones are a real problem, but it is also easy for the bad guys and the partly bad guys to sort of lie about what is going on.
Whether the Trump administration will act on Grenell’s advice hinges on ongoing U.S.-EU economic frictions, but no concrete steps to cancel have been documented yet.
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