Poor governance and terrorism in northern Mozambique since 2017

Abstract

Terrorism emerged in northern Mozambique in 2017 and is ostensibly attributed to Muslim militants. The first attacks occurred on 5 October 2017 in Mocimboa da Praia town in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. The group known as ‘Ansar al-Sunnah’ or ‘Al-Shabaab’ appears to be inspired by international terrorist clerics and followers, specifically from Tanzania, such as Sheik Aboud Rogo. These individuals share similar aspirations, including the rejection of Western education and the establishment of Sharia law. The Islamic State Central Africa Province has claimed responsibility for the attacks. This was the first spate of attacks since the guerrilla offensive during the anti-colonial war in the 1960s, as well as attacks by Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (RENAMO) members during the Mozambican civil war. Since October 2017, 900 people have been killed and by 21 March 2020, over 80 attacks and 100 deaths had occurred.

The aim of this research paper was to account for the re-emergence of terrorism in northern Mozambique, through the relationship of at least two causal factors. The research problem was that most of the literature on terrorism presents a one-sided explanation to account for its cause; the focus is on armed groups or their militants, while ignoring the many ways in which states (through governance, in particular) can influence the re-emergence of terrorism. The two key components of the re-emergence of terrorism in northern Mozambique — an enabling environment and the northern Mozambicans’ history of conflict and specifically terrorism — therefore show that literature centred on single religious and socio-economic causes of terrorism is discredited. The re-emergence of terrorism in northern Mozambique challenges the explanation that terrorism is attributed to a single cause. This research identified a gap in the literature. It pertained to the state’s role in facilitating and/or providing the breeding ground or enabling environment for terrorism. This research’s argument was twofold. Firstly, terrorism is not attributed to a single causal factor. Secondly, ignoring the state’s role in providing a breeding ground for terrorism is problematic. Therefore, the re-emergence of terrorism in northern Mozambique is likely to stem from the state’s inability to secure its people adequately, providing personal, community, political and economic security through effective governance practices. This research argued that when governments are ineffective in the provision of basic security and economic needs for their citizenry, ‘basic human insecurity’ is a result and thus contributes to the re-emergence of terrorism. Ultimately, poor governance, poor economic development, corruption and lack of human rights are ‘push factors’ towards terrorism. The locals are left feeling discontented and marginalised by government, which creates grievances as a stepping-stone towards terrorism in the north. Ultimately, the culmination of a history of conflict (including specifically terrorism), poor governance practices, and the influence of regional militants not only creates an insecure environment in the north, but establishes the region as an enabling environment for terrorism.