Irá a intervenção estrangeira pôr fim ao terrorismo em Cabo Delgado?

This policy brief examines the impact and nature of foreign military interventions in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, to combat an insurgency that began in October 2017. It analyzes the roles of private military companies, the Rwandan military, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), emphasizing a lack of transparency in agreements and the need for coordinated, human-rights-centered strategies.

• The Mozambican government initially resisted foreign military aid to avoid a "salada de intervenções" and described the insurgency as criminal acts. However, after the capture of district capitals like Mocímboa da Praia, Muidumbe, and Quissanga, and a video claiming the goal was to "governar de acordo com a Lei de Alá," the National Defense and Security Council declared the conflict an "agressão externa perpetrada por uma organização terrorista internacional" in April 2020.
• Mozambique employed several private military companies (PMCs) due to the internal failures of the Armed Forces of Defense of Mozambique (FADM). The Russian Wagner Group was mobilized in September 2019 but withdrew in November 2019 following "divergências com as tropas moçambicanas" regarding bombing plans. The Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) operated from April 2020 to April 2021, receiving 30 million dollars to provide air support and keep insurgents away from Pemba. In February 2021, a consortium of Paramount and Burnham Global was contracted for training and equipment.
• The deployment of Rwandan troops starting in July 2021 was characterized by a significant lack of transparency. The agreement was not made public, was not approved by the Mozambican parliament, and was not published in the official gazette as required by the Constitution. Despite this, Rwandan forces achieved rapid results, helping to consolidate government control in Palma and retaking the city of Mocímboa da Praia.
• The SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was officially mobilized in June 2021, with troops arriving in August 2021. SAMIM forces are deployed in Nangane, Macomia, and Mueda, with South African naval forces patrolling the Mozambique Channel. While they have destroyed rebel bases and rescued civilians, the mission has called for better coordination with other forces in Cabo Delgado to prevent "ataques entre forças aliadas."
• Local militias composed of former Maconde liberation war combatants played a strategic role in the conflict, proving useful in preventing the insurgency from advancing further into the interior of Cabo Delgado, specifically in districts such as Mueda and Muidumbe.
• Despite foreign interventions, the insurgency persists, with rebels dispersing into small groups and moving toward southern districts, including Quissanga and Macomia. The document notes that the conflict is transnational, involving foreign fighters and international criminal trafficking networks for funding and weapons.

APA

Nhamirre, B. (2021). Irá a intervenção estrangeira pôr fim ao terrorismo em Cabo Delgado? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-168-por.pdf

Chicago

Nhamirre, Borges. Irá a intervenção estrangeira pôr fim ao terrorismo em Cabo Delgado? Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-168-por.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nhamirre |first1=Borges |title=Irá a intervenção estrangeira pôr fim ao terrorismo em Cabo Delgado? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-168-por.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nhamirre2021interveno, author = {Nhamirre, Borges}, title = {{Irá a intervenção estrangeira pôr fim ao terrorismo em Cabo Delgado?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-168-por.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }