Key facts
- Philip Mawer, 58, was killed in a terrorist attack in Mozambique on March 26, 2021.
- An inquest ruled Mawer was unlawfully killed.
- Mawer gave up his seat on a rescue helicopter for women, children, and the sick.
- He also refused a seat in an armored vehicle, opting for his own 'soft-skin' vehicle.
- His vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
- Mawer was working as a project manager for RA International on a project for TotalEnergies.
Philip Mawer, a 58-year-old British contractor from Shaftesbury, Dorset, was unlawfully killed in a terrorist attack in Mozambique on March 26, 2021, an inquest has determined. Mawer was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack by Al-Shabaab terrorists as he attempted to flee the Amarula Hotel in Palma, which was under siege.
The inquest heard that Mawer had gallantly given up his space on a rescue helicopter the day before the attack, allowing women, children, and the sick to be evacuated first. He also refused a seat in an armored vehicle that was part of a convoy leaving the hotel, choosing instead to travel in his own "soft-skin" vehicle with two passengers.
Coroner Jason Pegg told Mawer's brothers that he was a "true leader" who put others before himself, even in a highly stressful and hostile environment. Mawer, who had experience operating in Mozambique, would have known the atrocities being committed by the insurgents and the likely consequences if captured. The coroner noted that Mawer's decisions contributed to his death.
Mawer was working as a project manager for RA International, a company contracted to build workers' accommodation for TotalEnergies' gas operation in Mozambique. The inquest heard that while Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) helicopters had rescued 24 people from the hotel, their operations were under Mozambican police control, and further evacuation missions were not their discretion. The coroner also stated there was insufficient evidence to find that corporations had any responsibility for formulating an evacuation plan for Mawer.