Coordination: key to the success of African solutions for Mozambique

This policy brief examines the coordination challenges between the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Rwanda regarding military interventions to combat violent extremism in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. It highlights the friction caused by the principle of subsidiarity, the lack of a joint strategic vision, and the differing operational approaches of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) and the bilateral Rwandan deployment.

• The African Union (AU) played a minimal role in coordinating the multilateral and bilateral deployments in Cabo Delgado until January 2022. The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) only endorsed the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) six months after its deployment, viewing it as part of the African Standby Force (ASF) framework.
• SADC's reluctance to involve the AU in its security challenges is driven by a historical mistrust of the continental body and a strict adherence to the principle of subsidiarity, which posits that the immediate region should be the first responder in crises.
• There is a lack of high-level strategic coordination between Mozambique, SADC, and Rwanda. While operational coordination between SAMIM and Rwanda was established by the end of 2021, no joint strategy against violent extremism has been discussed at a high level.
• The Rwandan and SADC interventions differ in their regional perspectives and governance models. Rwanda views northern Mozambique as part of the Swahili-speaking eastern region and employs a model of 'efficacy and tight control', whereas SADC views the area as part of Southern Africa and claims adherence to democratic values.
• The two military forces have a territorial division of labour in Cabo Delgado: Rwandan troops are primarily deployed in the coastal region around Palma, the Afungi Peninsula, and Mocimboa da Praia, while SAMIM covers Nangade, Mueda, and Macomia.
• The African Standby Force (ASF) is facing criticism and calls for reform because its regional standby forces developed independently with different standards, and experts question if the ASF is the most effective tool for combating terrorism and violent extremism.
• Financial support for SAMIM has primarily come from SADC member state contributions, though the AU endorsed a €2 million disbursement from the EU-funded Early Response Mechanism in March 2022.

APA

Louw-Vaudran, L. (2022). Coordination: key to the success of African solutions for Mozambique. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-172-2.pdf

Chicago

Louw-Vaudran, Liesl. Coordination: key to the success of African solutions for Mozambique. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-172-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Louw-Vaudran |first1=Liesl |title=Coordination: key to the success of African solutions for Mozambique |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2022 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-172-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{louwvaudran2022coordination, author = {Louw-Vaudran, Liesl}, title = {{Coordination: key to the success of African solutions for Mozambique}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-172-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }