Mozambique's Violent Humanitarian Crisis has Escaped International Attention

Soldiers from the Mozambican army patrol the streets after security in the area was increased, following a two-day attack from suspected Islamists in 2017, on March 7, 2018, in Mocímboa da Praia, Mozambique. Source.

Since October 2017, a group locally known as Al-Shabaab (translated as “the youth”)  - not to be confused with the Somali group of the same name - has attacked government forces and civilians in Cabo Delgado, the northern province of Mozambique. The armed group has committed multiple human rights atrocities during the conflict, including the execution of civilians and the burning of villages. 

Cabo Delgado has suffered neglect and under-investment from a corrupt government for decades, a problem worsened by natural disasters and the spread of COVID-19. The area is rich in natural resources, leading international companies to compete for access to the region. However, while the Mozambique government has been glad to rake in money from oil and gas, it has turned a blind eye to the suffering of local residents. Al-Shabaab provided “an alternative path for unemployed youths frustrated by a corrupt, neglectful and heavy-handed state” according to Mozambican historian Professor Yussuf Adam.

The conflict has intensified dramatically in 2020, with the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cabo Delgado doubling since March. Insurgents have recently captured the lucrative port city of Mocimboa da Praia and have been able to maintain their gains. Earlier this year, Mocimboa da Praia was held for 24 hours before being taken back by government forces; it has now been controlled by the insurgency since August 12. 

In a recent briefing, Major General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa has indicated that the relationship between Islamic State and “the local initial grievance” has developed in a way that has the US concerned. New media releases and an increase in aggressive tactics in the last 12 to 18 months from Al-Shabaab “have the fingerprints and hallmarks of Islamic State.”   

While General Anderson was clear that the US is looking for Mozambique’s state forces to take the lead in tackling the humanitarian crisis and local conflict, the capability and accountability of government forces have been called into question recently. Government forces ran out of ammunition during the latest offensive on Mocimboa de Praia. Additionally, videos analyzed by Amnesty International show soldiers wearing the uniforms of the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces and the Mozambique Rapid Intervention Police committing human rights violations of torture and extrajudicial killings. While Mozambique - as a party to the UN Convention Against Torture - is required to take necessary legal and judicial measures to prevent and investigate acts of torture, the current government has instead banned press from covering the conflict and has “failed to hold anyone to account for serious abuses”.

Despite Mozambique’s determination to handle this with government forces and hired mercenaries, other regional actors may need to become involved to contain the situation before it spreads into neighboring Tanzania or Malawi and to ensure the protection of human rights.

Now with 250,000 people - 10 percent of the province’s population - internally displaced, the need for infrastructure to feed and house these refugees is dire. “The growing insecurity and poor infrastructure have meant that reaching out to people in need has become harder and now with COVID-19 the crisis becomes even more complex,”  Antonella D’Aprile, UN World Food Program (WFP) Representative for Mozambique, said in a press release on September 22nd. Currently, the Famine Early Warnings System Network has Crisis levels of food insecurity in the Cabo Delgado region projected through at least January 2021. WFP has said that it “urgently needs $4.7 million per month” in order to properly fund humanitarian aid for the region; if its goals are not met food will have to be given out in smaller rations starting this December. 

While the international community is occupied with COVID-19, Mozambique’s situation has flown largely under the radar. The situation looks grim without external actors becoming involved - begging the question: will the international community fund humanitarian aid or will the people of Mozambique continue to suffer at the hands of both the insurgency and their own government?