{"id":202668,"date":"2021-09-21T14:34:50","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T12:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/how-big-is-the-islamist-threat-in-mozambique-and-why-are-rwandan-troops-there\/"},"modified":"2021-09-21T14:34:50","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T12:34:50","slug":"how-big-is-the-islamist-threat-in-mozambique-and-why-are-rwandan-troops-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/how-big-is-the-islamist-threat-in-mozambique-and-why-are-rwandan-troops-there\/","title":{"rendered":"How big is the Islamist threat in Mozambique? And why are Rwandan troops there?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rwanda has sent troops<\/a> to Mozambique to assist the government in fighting against a four-year Islamist militant insurgency. Political scientist Phil Clark provides insights into the threat and why Rwanda is supporting Mozambique.<\/em><\/p>\n

Do the insurgents in Mozambique represent a new front of Islamic terrorism on the continent?<\/h2>\n

Since 2017, jihadist militias in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado have mounted<\/a> an armed insurgency against the Mozambican government. Their stated objective<\/a> is to instil Sharia law across northern Mozambique. This is said to be in response<\/a> to the region\u2019s chronic poverty, unemployment and weak public services under the Frelimo-led government in Maputo. <\/p>\n

The Mozambican insurgents represent a new armed Islamic front, with entirely local<\/a> motivations and command structures. However, their propaganda invokes common tropes of regional and global jihad. <\/p>\n

They often claim responsibility for attacks using the name given<\/a> to them by the local population, \u2018Al-Shabaab\u2019. But there is no evidence that they have any direct links to Al-Shabaab in Somalia. <\/p>\n

Recently, Islamic State (ISIS) claimed<\/a> responsibility for jihadist attacks in Mozambique. <\/p>\n

But, again, there appears to be little direct connection between the Mozambican jihadists and the Islamic State. ISIS has previously attempted to claim responsibility<\/a> for attacks by unassociated Islamist groups elsewhere in Africa, for example the Allied Democratic Forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo <\/p>\n

How big a threat do they represent?<\/h2>\n

The jihadists pose a significant threat to local civilians and foreign economic interests in Cabo Delgado. The four-year low-intensity civil war has<\/a> killed more than 3,000 civilians, displaced 800,000 and caused widespread food insecurity. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the energy giants ExxonMobil and Total have suspended<\/a> their liquid natural gas projects in Cabo Delgado. ExxonMobil is investing US$30billion<\/a> and Total US$20billion<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The insurgents have cited<\/a> the perception that local people will fail to benefit from government deals with the multinational companies as one catalyst for their attacks.<\/p>\n

The combination of widespread violence and threats to foreign businesses have led to a patchwork of international military and security interventions. This includes<\/a> reports<\/a> of:<\/p>\n