Located in northern Mozambique, Cabo Delgado has become one of the most painful points on the contemporary African map. This province bears the contradiction between its abundant natural resources and the extreme poverty of its population.

Since 2017, the region has been plagued by terrorist attacks carried out by armed groups who, claiming religious motivations, have found fertile ground to spread violence among communities weakened by social exclusion and a lack of prospects.

In September 2025, according to data from the International Organization for Migration, nearly 22 people were displaced in just one week, mostly children, pregnant women, and the elderly. These numbers, more than statistics, represent stories of loss, fear, and survival.

The problem, however, does not lie solely in the insurgents' offensive: multiple voices, including that of the Catholic Church, emphasize that the root of the crisis also lies in the mismanagement of local wealth, weak governance, and profound social inequalities.

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Between September 19 and 26, 2025, 21.819 internally displaced people were registered in Mozambique, in just three districts of Cabo Delgado province: Balama, Mocímboa da Praia, and Nangade. Entire families, carrying what little they could salvage, abandoned burning villages and attacked towns.

In Balama, 8.268 people fled the village of Monapo to Ntete and Mieze. In Mocímboa da Praia, more than 13 left the 30 de Junho and Filipe Nyusi neighborhoods after attacks that caused deaths and devastation. In Nangade, 277 sought refuge in neighboring towns and even in the provincial capital, Pemba.

“Food, shelter and protective services were reported as the most urgent needs”.

The IOM report states that the total number of displaced people amounts to 6.012 families, more than half of whom are children (11.380), along with 311 pregnant women and 657 elderly people, demonstrating that the most vulnerable are suffering the most. With each insurgent offensive, the urgency for food, shelter, and protective services grows, exposing the limitations of the humanitarian response.

In 2024, in Cabo Delgado alone, 349 people died in attacks, mostly claimed by the Islamic State, a 36% increase compared to the previous year. Despite some improvements noted by authorities, insecurity continues to mark daily life, and mass displacements are proof of this.

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Mozambican President Daniel Chapo recently acknowledged that the terrorist threat persists, even though the security situation in Cabo Delgado is more stable today than it was three or four years ago. In his speech commemorating the 61st anniversary of the Mozambican Armed Defense Forces, he emphasized that all military personnel, without exception, must participate in the Northern Operational Theater.

“Terrorism cannot be defeated by leaving the best soldiers in their offices”.

The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, stated that in this war, there is no room for privileges. He also highlighted the need for tactical innovation, international cooperation, and the strengthening of national strategic capabilities.

However, there is no doubt that security in Cabo Delgado has improved compared to three or four years ago, as there are basic conditions for the movement of people and goods, with relative safety, despite sporadic terrorist attacks.

However, reality shows that even with training from external partners like Portugal and military support from Rwanda, progress remains limited. The insurgents have adapted, changed their modus operandi, and now resort to, among other tactics, planting improvised explosive devices on roads to contain the advance of troops.

The government's insistence on a predominantly military response raises doubts about the effectiveness of an effort that, after eight years of conflict, has failed to restore full stability to the province.

The province of Cabo Delgado has seen a resurgence of attacks by rebel groups since July – with 57 displaced in the southern zone alone – with the districts of Chiúre, Muidumbe, Quissanga, Ancuabe, Meluco and, more recently, Mocímboa da Praia having been targeted, with several deaths recorded.

In 2024 alone, at least 349 people died in attacks in northern Mozambique, most of them claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, a 36% increase compared to 2023.

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For the Archbishop of Nampula, Bishop Inácio Saúre, the war in Cabo Delgado cannot be understood solely as a result of Islamic radicalism. Christians are a target, but the true root of the conflict—which began in 2017—lies elsewhere.

“There is no doubt that there are other interests in Cabo Delgado, not just the threat of Islamic radicalism.”

“In my opinion, this has to do with the discovery of the area’s natural resources.”.

stated D. Inácio Saúre suggesting that natural resources such as gas and strategic minerals are traded under conditions that are not very transparent and do not bring real benefits to local communities, creating social exclusion, worsening asymmetries, and leaving thousands of people without future prospects.

In a country where 68% of the population lives in extreme poverty, young people are easily recruited by Islamic insurgents, with enticing promises of salaries in the region of 20 meticais per month.

The archbishop also denounces the fragility of the national armed forces, which often operate under conditions of hunger and lack of resources. He believes that even if the military were well equipped, the solution could never be solely military.

For the Mozambican prelate, the international community could do much more to help, especially because despite assistance from the European Union – especially from Portugal, which provided training – and the agreement with Rwanda, which has sent soldiers, the Mozambican army has not been able to resolve the situation.

The conflict demands responses that include social justice, fair distribution of wealth, and concrete opportunities for young people. Saúre also criticizes the illegal occupation of Church lands and buildings, with the complicity of authorities, as an example of the internal governance failures that fuel public distrust.