The genesis of insurgency in northern Mozambique

Based on fieldwork in four districts, this report explores the emergence of violent extremism in Cabo Delgado.

Insurgents have attacked towns and villages in Cabo Delgado, the poorest province in Mozambique. The government has responded by sending in the military to stamp out the assailants, using ‘whatever it takes’, amid suspicions that foreign fighters from Tanzania have radicalised local youth who are behind the violence. Other measures to counter the violence include an extra-judicial state of emergency and the suppression of information.

About the authors

David M Matsinhe is adjunct professor at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, and researcher at Amnesty International. He holds a PhD in political sociology from the University of Alberta, and he is the author of Apartheid Vertigo: The Rise in Discrimination Against Africans in South Africa.

Estacio Valoi is an investigative journalist and the director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism in Mozambique. The views expressed in this report do not represent the views of the organisations with which they are affiliated.

Picture: Amelia Broodryk/ISS