United We Stand: The Collaborative Fight Against Insurgency in Mozambique
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| A Burned Village in Cabo Delgado [Source:Upstream Online] |
The UN and US have pledged their support to the Mozambican Government after they called for support in their fight against violent extremism within the country. The country's Defence Minister Cristovao Chume has specifically asked for support in the Cabo Delgado region. Chume plans on coordinating a multi-national, multifaceted approach to combating violent extremism within the country. The country already has assistance from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the US, European Union and United Nations forces. (Mangwiro,2023a) Even though this may seem like a trove of support, the country's President Filipe Nyusi has told the UN Peacebuilding Commission that more support was needed to fight insurgency in the region.
This plea for additional support was answered by the UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In a Security Council meeting, as reported by UN News (2023), Guterres said, "Just as terrorism drives people apart, countering it can bring countries together [...] The United Nations stands with Africa to end this scourge. Above all, it includes our ongoing close collaboration with the African Union (AU) and regional and sub-regional African organisations." The Council agreed on offering African nations struggling with terror, including Mozambique, a plethora of new relief, including preventative and legal help. It is also important to note that Nyusi, who was also present at the Security Council meeting, didn't just call for assistance for his own country, but also for increased aid in other African nations. In an address to the council he said, The expansion of terrorism is quite threatening, and it is driven by factors that vary from context to context. On one hand, radicalisation based on identity variables fuelled by intolerance and, on the other hand, the manipulation of socio-economic factors have accelerated recruitment to terrorist groups, particularly of the youth."
Nyusi also revealed the success of SADC counter-terror operations in the Cabo Delgado region. The nearly two-year-long operation, which is still ongoing, demonstrates the success of African Governmental cooperation, according to Nyusi.
Almost a month after these United Nations meetings were held, the US State Department's Minister of Foreign Assistance, Dafna Rand, visited Mozambique and reiterated the US support in the fight against terror within the nation. She revealed that the US wanted to focus their support on local communities to ensure future security against insurgent attacks. She also reiterated the partnership between the US and Mozambique militaries, saying, "We also press to have a security partnership with the Mozambican forces, and we are working and training in cooperation on the defence and security side." Rand also stressed that their support will not just be militaristic but also infrastructural. The fight against terror starts with basic services such as local hospitals and schools. From that groundwork, subsequent counter-terror operations will be more successful. (Mangwiro, 2023c) This renewed support from the US was expected, with the companies EXXON Mobile and Total, having offshore gas developments in the country. In addition, the US is the country's biggest financial supporter with them giving the African nation over $560 million annually.
The Importance of Local Fighters
In early April, laws were passed in Maputo, which allowed the formation of local militias to aid the Government in the fight against insurgency. Though they existed before, these laws will formalise the militias as a kind-of defence force for local communities. The laws also will give the militias more logistical and structural support. It is also hoped that these local militias will aid in the defence of crucial infrastructure. These militias are mostly made up of experienced fighters who have experience fighting the insurgents in Cabo Delgado. (Mangwiro, 2023c) Though it may seem like an outlandish idea to arm locals, it is important to remember the significance local fighters can have in the fight against terror. Most recently, in Somalia, politicians argued that future counter-offensive plans ignored local fighters, who were previously instrumental in demising the power of Al-Shabaab.
Who are the Insurgents?
The insurgents who occupy the northern province of Cabo Delgado aren't exactly affiliated with any larger group. There are two likely candidates responsible for such wide-scale attacks. One is the Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for many of the insurgency attacks in the province. However, it is also suspected there is another, lesser-known terror group operating in the region called Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, which took credit for the initial insurgency attacks. Wa-Jama was a paramilitary-terror organisation that was last active in 2019. The group was based in Somalia, however, these attacks in Cabo Delgado may suggest that the group is resurfacing in Mozambique. Just a few years ago in 2017, Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama signed an agreement with the Somalian state of Galmudug, essentially integrating the group within the state's organised military force. (University, Stanford and California 94305, 2023) It is also possible that the small group that was active in the initial Cabo Delgado insurgency attacks were remnants of the group and later 're-branded' as a province of the Islamic State.
What is known, is the devastation of the Cabo Delgado insurgency conflicts. It's estimated that there have been over five thousand casualties and nearly one million people displaced after their villages were destroyed by insurgent forces.
Reference list
Mangwiro, C. (2023a). Mozambican Government Asks for Help Fighting Terrorism. [online] VOA. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/mozambican-government-asks-for-help-fighting-terrorism-/7030484.html [Accessed 8 May 2023].
Mangwiro, C. (2023b). Mozambique Legalizes Local Militias to Help Fight Northern Insurgents. [online] VOA. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/mozambique-legalizes-local-militias-to-help-fight-northern-insurgents/7039006.html [Accessed 8 May 2023].
Mangwiro, C. (2023c). US Reiterates Support for Mozambique’s Fight Against Cabo Delgado Militants. [online] VOA. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-reiterates-support-for-mozambique-s-fight-against-cabo-delgado-militants-/7065538.html#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20is%20reiterating%20its [Accessed 8 May 2023].
news.un.org. (2023). UN underlines support for Africa’s fight against terrorism | UN News. [online] Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1135117.
University, S., Stanford and California 94305 (n.d.). MMP: Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama. [online] cisac.fsi.stanford.edu. Available at: https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/ahlu-sunna-wal-jama#text_block_17431 [Accessed 8 May 2023].
