HUMANIZING SECURITY IN CABO DELGADO

The report examines the conflict in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, highlighting that while often framed as a religious war, it is driven by resource exploitation, land grabs, and social injustice. It documents atrocities committed by both insurgents (ASWJ) and government forces (FDS), including the torture of civilians and sexual violence. The document criticises the 'Iraqization' of the region through the deployment of Rwandan and SADC troops to protect LNG infrastructure for companies like Total. It reveals how political elites have profited from mining concessions and oil and gas logistics during the conflict. The report concludes that a purely military approach is insufficient and recommends a political track, increased transparency in land concessions, and urgent humanitarian protections for internally displaced persons, particularly women and girls.

• The conflict in Cabo Delgado is driven by a combination of resource exploitation, youth radicalisation, lack of economic opportunities, and police brutality, rather than solely by religious motives.
• Mozambican Forces of Defence and Security (FDS) have committed severe human rights violations, including the torture and summary execution of civilians, and the targeting of journalists.
• The insurgency, led by Al-Sunna wa Jama’a (ASWJ), has committed gruesome atrocities, including beheadings and the systematic abduction of women and girls for forced marriage and sexual slavery.
• Military interventions by Rwanda and SADC are viewed by some as a means to protect extractive industry interests, specifically the $20bn LNG projects in the Afungi Peninsula, rather than ensuring general civilian security.
• Political and military elites in Mozambique have used the conflict to enrich themselves through corrupt contracts and the acquisition of mining concessions, with a 68% increase in licenses granted between 2017 and February 2021 compared to the previous 14 years.
• Internally displaced persons (IDPs) face extreme hardship, including land disputes with host communities, lack of humanitarian access due to government visa delays, and the rise of trading sex for food assistance.

APA

Nhachote, L. (2021). HUMANIZING SECURITY IN CABO DELGADO. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2021/10/Cabo-Delgado-April-campaign-report-final.pdf

Chicago

Nhachote, Luís. HUMANIZING SECURITY IN CABO DELGADO. Good Governance Africa, 2021. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2021/10/Cabo-Delgado-April-campaign-report-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nhachote |first1=Luís |title=HUMANIZING SECURITY IN CABO DELGADO |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=August 2021 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2021/10/Cabo-Delgado-April-campaign-report-final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nhachote2021humanizing, author = {Nhachote, Luís}, title = {{HUMANIZING SECURITY IN CABO DELGADO}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2021/10/Cabo-Delgado-April-campaign-report-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }