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The report analyzes the rise of an insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, attributing it to long-term government neglect, high youth unemployment, and social exclusion. It details the group's evolution from targeting security installations to committing atrocities against civilians, while criticizing the government's 'extrajudicial state of emergency' and human rights violations.

The document examines the intersection of community livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the Quirimbas National Park (QNP), Mozambique. It highlights the vulnerability of coastal communities to climate shocks and the mixed success of past livelihood projects, which often failed due to a lack of sustainability strategies or failure to account for socio-economic contexts. The author argues for a systems approach that integrates community-led monitoring, sustainable resource use techniques—such as temporary octopus fishery closures—and improved access to finance through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs).

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines barriers to agricultural productivity and natural resource management in Mozambique. It identifies bureaucratic delays in tax and trade administration, limited access to credit for small farmers, and gaps in energy and irrigation infrastructure as primary obstacles. The authors propose low-cost policy modifications, including streamlining government administration, developing public-private partnerships, prioritizing key infrastructure, and increasing revenue-sharing mechanisms for community-led natural resource protection.

Mozambique possesses high agricultural potential but remains a net food importer due to low productivity and high climate vulnerability. The report identifies four primary areas for improvement: simplifying bureaucratic tax administration to reduce investment costs, developing public financial incentives and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to mitigate risk for farmers, prioritizing critical infrastructure in energy and irrigation, and enhancing revenue-sharing mechanisms to protect natural resources. It highlights that administrative delays and high interest rates (often over 20%) are more significant barriers than tax rates themselves. The document also emphasizes the need for better community consultation in PPPs and the implementation of a more transparent fiscal rule for sharing extractive industry royalties with local communities.

The document examines Mozambique's transition from civil war to sustainable peace, focusing on five key areas: disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), economic and social development, decentralisation, justice, and natural resource investment. It argues that while government planning capacity has increased, implementation and monitoring remain weak, and short-term political gains often override long-term stability. The paper highlights the critical role of civil society in filling gaps left by the state and international actors, and warns that the management of new natural gas wealth and high national debt could either consolidate peace or fuel renewed conflict.

The report examines the tension between Mozambique's progressive legal frameworks, such as the 1997 Land Law, and a state tendency toward recentralization and the prioritization of extractive industries. While laws recognize customary land rights (DUAT), implementation is often hindered by bureaucratic hurdles, flawed community consultation processes, and legislation that gives mining operations priority over other land uses. The document highlights the failure of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) initiatives like Tchuma Tchato due to lack of genuine power devolution and the negative social impacts of large-scale resettlement projects, such as those led by Vale in Tete Province.

The document examines Mozambique's transition from aid dependence to potential resource-based sovereignty following the discovery of over 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Rovuma Basin. It argues that while the 'gas boom' offers a significant opportunity for poverty alleviation and industrialization, the country faces risks of the 'resource curse' and 'Dutch disease' due to high levels of corruption and a history of 'mega-projects' that have failed to provide broad-based benefits. The author emphasizes the need for transparent governance, the renegotiation of inequitable contracts, and a strategic balance between LNG exports and domestic industrial use to ensure tangible benefits for the general population.

The document examines the strategic opportunity for South Africa to leverage Mozambique's massive gas discoveries in the Rovuma Basin to diversify its energy mix and reduce its reliance on coal. It highlights the need for political and financial commitment, including the construction of an LNG terminal and the formation of strategic partnerships, to ensure South Africa does not miss the window of opportunity as Mozambique prepares for gas production by 2018.

The document examines the potential for Mozambique's hydrocarbon wealth to supplant its chronic reliance on foreign aid, particularly from the G19 group of Western donors. While resource revenues could increase government autonomy and shift commercial partnerships toward Asia and South America, the author warns that this may replace aid dependence with a new dependence on foreign capital and technology. The brief highlights risks such as the 'resource curse', rent-seeking, and the limited local economic impact of capital-intensive 'mega-projects', recommending that the government integrate resource strategies with broader development goals and that donors shift from budget support to targeted sectoral funding.

The report analyzes the global commodity chain of forest products where China acts as the central processing hub, importing raw materials from developing nations and exporting finished goods to Western markets. It highlights a systemic failure in governance and sustainability, particularly in Mozambique and Russia, where weak tenure rights and corruption lead to illegal logging and forest degradation. Conversely, it notes that trade with New Zealand demonstrates a positive model where strong governance ensures sustainable plantation management. The document argues that China's own self-interest—specifically the need for secure, long-term fibre supply—should drive it to lead international efforts in sustainable forest management, improve its procurement policies, and support capacity-building in supplier countries.

The report identifies five critical stressed ecosystem services in Mozambique: biodiversity, food and fibre provision, water supply/purification/regulation, fuel provision, and flood regulation. It links these ecological stresses to threats in human well-being, specifically the ability to be nourished, access clean water, obtain energy, earn a livelihood, and remain secure against extreme events. The analysis highlights that Gaza, Manica, Nampula, Sofala, and Tete are the most critical regions where all five ecosystem services and well-being constituents are threatened. High population density in Nampula and Zambezia also makes them priority areas due to severe chronic malnutrition and poor water access.

The report critiques the traditional focus of Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) on technical metrics—such as the number of mines removed—and advocates for a shift toward socio-economic impact assessments. Using case studies from Mozambique, the authors argue that the physical removal of mines is often insufficient to trigger positive change unless operators understand local dynamics and foster community trust. The report proposes a 'transformative reconstruction' approach where HMA is integrated into broader development goals, emphasizing that impact is maximized through strong agency-community relationships and a continuous cycle of socio-economic analysis from project planning through long-term follow-up.

The document examines how Mozambique's vast natural gas reserves, particularly in the Rovuma Basin, have failed to translate into sustainable development, instead contributing to regional inequality, corruption, and civil unrest in Cabo Delgado. It analyzes the 'enclave' nature of extractive projects and the country's severe debt crisis, including the 'Tuna Bonds' scandal. The brief also addresses the gendered impacts of the energy sector and the challenges of transitioning to a just energy future while managing critical minerals like graphite.

The report examines the complex security landscape in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, where large-scale investments in LNG, rubies, and graphite coexist with a violent insurgency. It identifies a 'hybrid security environment' comprising the Mozambican Republican Police (PRM), Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), community-based Força Locale, Rwandan Security Forces (RSF), and Private Security Companies (PSCs). The analysis highlights systemic human rights abuses by national forces, the relative effectiveness and trust associated with Rwandan forces, and the governance risks inherent in the private security sector. It concludes that uneven security provision—prioritising commercial assets over rural populations—fuels local grievances and instability, recommending standardised human rights due diligence and formalised public-private coordination.

The report examines the escalation of extremist activity in southern Africa, highlighting the dual threats of far-right militancy and Islamist insurgency. It details the specific security challenges in South Africa, including the activities of the National Christian Resistance Movement and IS-linked cells, and provides an in-depth analysis of the insurgency in northern Mozambique. The author argues that the Mozambican conflict is fueled by transnational criminal networks, including human smuggling and the heroin trade, and criticizes the slow, bureaucratic responses of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). The document concludes with recommendations for integrated national strategies, improved inter-agency collaboration, and a shift toward preventative governance to address the root causes of extremism.

The report examines the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, led by Alu Sunna Wa-Jama (ASWJ). It argues that the group's growth is driven by a combination of radical Wahhabist ideology, deep-seated ethnic tensions between the Mwani and Makonde groups, and systemic economic marginalisation linked to the extractive industries. The document further details how ASWJ leverages and profits from a thriving illicit economy involving drug, wildlife, and gemstone trafficking, often facilitated by corruption within the Mozambican political establishment. It concludes that heavy-handed military responses have alienated the population and recommends a holistic strategy focusing on inclusive governance, wealth distribution, and community dialogue.

The report 'Five Years Lost' details 12 major fossil fuel expansion projects globally, estimating they would collectively emit at least 175 gigatons of CO2, consuming up to 75% of the remaining carbon budget for a 66% probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C. It identifies a systemic failure in the finance industry, noting that between January 2016 and August 2020, financial institutions provided $1.6 trillion in loans and underwriting and $1.1 trillion in investments to 133 companies driving these projects. The document highlights the role of public finance, specifically Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) like the World Bank Group, in de-risking these projects. Case studies cover diverse regions including the Permian Basin (USA), Vaca Muerta (Argentina), and the Barents Sea (Norway), emphasizing the associated human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and the 'myth' of natural gas as a bridge fuel.

The document examines the role of fossil gas in South Africa, detailing its current use in power generation and chemical feedstock, while arguing against its use as a 'bridge fuel'. It highlights the high global warming potential of methane leaks, the risk of stranded assets, and the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives combined with energy storage. The author concludes that South Africa should avoid new gas exploration and infrastructure to align with the 1.5°C warming limit and its own 2050 net-zero target.