Lafarge Cement Convicted for Financing Terrorism in France

The French court found Lafarge Cement guilty of financing terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, imposing a fine of €6.5 million. This marks the first time a company has been convicted in France for financing terrorism.

Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, and former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received a five-year sentence. The court acknowledged that Lafarge made payments to armed groups to ensure the safety of its employees and maintain factory operations in Syria, where it established a cement plant in 2010.

The company withdrew from Syria in 2012 but continued operations with local employees until September 2014, when the factory fell into the hands of Islamic State fighters. The court ruled that these payments enabled terrorist organizations to gain control over Syria's natural resources and finance acts of terrorism.

Lafarge remains a major cement producer in Nigeria, with plans to expand its Ashaka and Sagamu plants.