Hero British worker was murdered by terrorists who besieged African hotel 90 minutes after manager ‘abandoned’ victims and was airlifted to safety with their DOGS, inquest told
Philip Mawer, a 58-year-old British contractor working on a gas project in Mozambique, was killed in March 2021 when al-Shabaab militants attacked the Amarula Hotel in Palma. An inquest heard that the hotel manager evacuated with two dogs just 90 minutes before Mawer died, whilst he remained behind after declining a helicopter evacuation to ensure women and children left first. Mawer was subsequently killed when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during a convoy escape attempt.
The inquest revealed several allegations regarding the evacuation's handling and response. Hotel manager Timothy Robert allegedly locked fridges and switched off wifi before departing by helicopter with his boss and her dogs. The inquiry also heard claims that energy company TotalEnergies failed to provide sufficient fuel for evacuation helicopters, potentially preventing more rescues, and did not assist an SAS rescue attempt dispatched from Kenya to retrieve Mawer. Mawer's family expressed frustration at being unable to directly question TotalEnergies about the fuel shortage and other failures.
- British contractor killed after refusing evacuation to prioritise women and children.
- Hotel manager evacuated with dogs whilst other guests remained behind.
- Inquest claims fuel shortage hindered helicopter rescues and SAS assistance.