Mozambique: Mozambique's Army Is Losing a Crucial Counter-Insurgency Battle

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing an Institute for Security Studies analysis by Borges Nhamirre, says Mozambique’s army is still struggling to turn years of foreign training and external assistance into an effective response to the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. The article says the conflict began after attacks on 5 October 2017 and that the country’s armed forces were initially unprepared for a rural guerrilla campaign backed by outside support. Since then, the force has received training and support from partners including the Southern African Development Community mission, Rwanda, the European Union, Algeria and the United States.

The report says the strongest improvements have come in areas such as command, logistics, communications, civil-military cooperation, human rights and counter-terrorism. It also notes new defence cooperation efforts with India and Turkey, plus a U.S.-backed weapons security programme. Even so, the article argues that weak equipment, limited transport, and trouble evacuating wounded troops continue to hurt the army’s performance, while insurgents have regained movement on major roads since SAMIM withdrew in mid-2024.

A central concern is the conduct of state forces toward civilians. The piece says Mozambican troops have repeatedly faced accusations of abuse, including killings of suspected collaborators and sexual exploitation of displaced women. According to the article, those actions undermine trust in affected communities, which is critical in counter-insurgency operations against small guerrilla-style groups that depend on local concealment and support. The analysis says a newly established counter-terrorism centre could help improve coordination, but only if authorities reduce abuses and build stronger civilian cooperation.