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A civil servant in northern Mozambique narrowly escaped death during a jihadist attack on Macomia town in the insurgency-hit Cabo Delgado province. Tomas Langa, whose name has been changed for his safety, recounted how he fled into the countryside, hiding for three days after his home was besieged by armed men linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The militants targeted government buildings and looted shops, leaving the town without medical facilities or electricity and creating an atmosphere of fear and chaos. This latest violence comes as regional troops are being withdrawn, raising concerns about Mozambique’s security.
The IS-affiliated al-Shabab group in Mozambique, not linked to the Somali group of the same name, has been wreaking havoc in Cabo Delgado since 2017. Their insurgency has resulted in the deaths of hundreds, displacement of communities, and destruction of towns and villages as they fight for control over a region rich in natural gas and minerals, including hydrocarbons, graphite, and rubies.
In July 2021, the violence forced French energy giant Total Energies to suspend its $20bn (£16bn) liquefied natural gas project following a brutal attack on Palma. The deployment of Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwandan troops later that year initially seemed to stabilize the area, with reports of improved security and a return to normalcy in some regions.
However, this progress was short-lived. Since December 2023, attacks have surged again, displacing more than 110,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Tomas Queface, a researcher at Mozambique’s Cabo Ligado website, noted that the militants managed to hold Macomia for two days by recruiting more fighters, including children. Human Rights Watch reported that during the attack, a family identified their 13-year-old nephew among the looters.
Mozambique’s northern neighbors are increasingly concerned. In 2020, jihadists crossed into Tanzania, killing around 25 people, looting, and burning homes. Since then, Tanzania has ramped up security with curfews, increased patrols, and restricted cross-border movement. Dastan Kweka, a governance specialist in Tanzania, mentioned that while these measures have been effective, they are costly, with Tanzania’s defense budget increasing by 10% annually since 2021.
There are growing fears that if the Cabo Delgado insurgency intensifies, neighboring countries like Malawi could be impacted by insurgents crossing borders. Analyst Meron Elias noted potential regional links between Mozambique’s al-Shabab and the Allied Defence Forces, an IS affiliate in DR Congo and Uganda, though the extent of their cooperation remains unclear.
Regional security experts argue that Mozambique’s armed forces could achieve a military victory with enhanced support, emphasizing that now is not the time to withdraw foreign troops. However, they stress that the long-term solution lies in addressing the socio-economic challenges in northern Mozambique, where lower living standards compared to the south fuel grievances exploited by the jihadists.
