Gas, Rubies and Jihad

Why has Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province become the centre of a violent Islamist insurgency, and what factors are shaping the conflict? 

The insurgency grew out of deep local grievances – inequality, marginalisation, lack of governance, and resource exclusion – which the Mozambican state has failed to address.

Despite immense natural wealth, Cabo Delgado remains one of Mozambique’s poorest regions. Military responses alone cannot resolve the crisis.