SAS 'blocked from rescuing' British contractor who turned down evacuation so women and children could escape first

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 September 2026 · last updated 23 September 2026.

Philip Mawer, 58, refused a helicopter evacuation during an Isis-linked Al-Shabaab massacre at the Amarula Hotel in Palma, Mozambique, in March 2021, insisting women and children go first. He was killed instantly when an RPG struck his vehicle as he drove in a separate convoy, having given up his space in an armoured truck. Winchester Coroner's Court heard the SAS was reportedly blocked from mounting a rescue operation. Mawer, from Somerset, had worked in Mozambique for a decade managing construction for what was billed as the largest gas operation in Africa.

Workers knew terrorists operated around Palma, but the threat was judged low enough for the gas project to continue.

Friend and fellow project manager Gordon Rhattigan said the situation was 'changing every 30 seconds or minute' during the chaotic siege.

Mawer's employer RA International had returned staff to normal working conditions in January 2021 after a December 2020 evacuation order was rescinded.