Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northernmost province, has become a flashpoint where insurgency, organised crime, and resource exploitation intersect. The discovery of vast natural resources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), rubies, gold, and graphite, has not only drawn significant foreign investment but has also intensified economic disparities and fuelled local grievances. In her research, Anneli Botha explores how these factors contribute to the ongoing insurgency led by Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah (ASWJ), a militant group that has exploited social and economic tensions to expand its influence.
Botha’s study highlights the growing frustration among local communities, who feel excluded from the economic benefits of resource extraction. While large multinational corporations have established operations in Cabo Delgado, employment opportunities for locals remain limited, and many perceive that only outsiders are profiting from the region’s wealth. This exclusion has created a sense of disenfranchisement, which ASWJ has been able to exploit to recruit new members and justify its attacks. The insurgents, in some areas, have even positioned themselves as alternative governance structures, providing security and distributing looted goods to win local support.
The study further reveals that organised crime plays a significant role in the conflict. Cabo Delgado has long been a hub for illicit smuggling networks that traffic drugs, minerals, and other resources. These criminal enterprises have provided financial lifelines for insurgents, who have capitalised on the region’s established illegal trade routes. While ASWJ’s direct involvement in illegal mining remains unclear, Botha notes that insurgents benefit from taxing miners, controlling transport routes, and engaging with illicit trade networks. This convergence of extremist violence and organised crime presents a complex challenge, making it difficult to isolate the insurgency from the broader web of illicit economic activities in the province.
Security responses from the Mozambican government have been primarily military-focused, with the deployment of national forces, the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF), and the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). However, Botha’s findings suggest that these interventions have not been entirely effective in winning local trust. Many communities perceive the security forces as prioritising the protection of corporate interests over the well-being of civilians. Reports of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and mistreatment, have further alienated local populations and, in some cases, driven more individuals to sympathise with the insurgents.
The insurgency has also evolved in its tactics. While ASWJ initially focused on violent attacks against security forces and government institutions, recent developments indicate a shift toward increased engagement with local communities. In some instances, insurgents have provided essential services, distributed looted goods, and engaged in religious outreach to gain support. However, violence remains a key strategy, with sporadic attacks against mining companies and foreign workers raising concerns about future threats to economic interests in the region.
Botha concludes that a purely military approach will not resolve the crisis in Cabo Delgado. Addressing the insurgency requires a comprehensive strategy that tackles the root causes of economic marginalisation, governance failures, and community resentment. She emphasises the need for policies that ensure local populations benefit from resource extraction, alongside efforts to combat corruption and improve the conduct of security forces. Without meaningful economic and social reform, the insurgency is likely to persist, evolving alongside the shifting dynamics of organised crime and resource exploitation.
The conflict in Cabo Delgado is not simply about extremist violence; it reflects deeper socio-economic and political fractures. As Botha’s research illustrates, resolving the crisis will require more than military intervention, it demands a long-term commitment to inclusive development, fair economic policies, and governance reforms that restore public trust. Without these measures, the province will remain vulnerable to continued violence and instability, with insurgents and organised criminals alike exploiting its wealth and its people.
