British man Philip Mawer who went missing in Mozambique terror attack feared dead as body is found
A British man who disappeared after an Islamist terrorist attack in Mozambique is feared dead after a body matching his description was found, the company he works for has said.
Philip Mawer, who has been described as a “much-loved son, brother, uncle and friend”, is thought to have been killed in an attack by insurgents linked to the so-called Islamic State group in the town of Palma on March 24.
It is believed Mr Mawer died while he and six colleagues were trying to escape the Amarula Hotel when it came under attack.
A statement by his employer RA International on behalf of his family said: “Philip was an ebullient, outgoing character who had something of the lovable rogue about him.
“He had a wonderful sense of humour and could be relied on to find a humorous take on the most difficult of situations.
“The family is devastated by the loss and he will be sadly missed. We would like to acknowledge the support we have received from friends, family and Philip’s colleagues in a period of tremendous anguish.”
Mr Mawer had been managing the building of camps for workers involved in a large natural gas project. He had been in the country for 18 months.
The family statement said: “It was the nature of his chosen line of work to be in the more dangerous corners of the world and Philip’s career had previously taken him to Somalia, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Afghanistan and Yemen.
“His ability to get things done in the most hostile of environments made him a valued colleague.
“Earlier in his life, Philip overcame a period of compulsive gambling and went on to write the book Overcoming Problem Gambling: A Guide For Problem And Compulsive Gamblers, using his personal experience to help others to overcome this destructive addiction.
“He would often receive letters of thanks from people helped by the book.” Formal identification of the body has not yet taken place.
The insurgents are believed to have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced about 670,000 over the last three years.