The Political Economy of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Insurgency and its Impact on Southern Africa’s Regional Security

Abstract

This article investigates the political economy of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado insurgency and its implications on the regional security of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The conflict in Cabo Delgado has drawn attention to the SADC’s vulnerability to conflict, specifically with respect to Islamic extremism. Southern Africa has enjoyed relative peace in comparison to other regions on the continent, but studies on intrastate conflicts have indicated that conflict is likely to spill over into neighboring countries. Secondary data was used to analyze how natural resource governance practices have contributed to intrastate conflicts and how this has driven Islamic extremism and insurgent behavior in Mozambique. This study argues that the SADC must actively intervene by providing humanitarian and military assistance through training and deployment of military personnel to restore peace and security in Mozambique, and that the consequences of inaction have escalated the conflict, as illustrated by the humanitarian crisis. Unless the SADC deploys military personnel and training, there remains a risk of conflict spreading to vulnerable neighboring countries, consequently destabilizing the region.