Islamic Radicalization in Northern Mozambique: The Case of Mocímboa da Praia

Este artigo analisa o fenómeno da radicalização islâmica no Norte de Moçambique, explorando a complexidade das dinâmicas não só na origem do grupo dos Al-Shabaab como também na estrutura do próprio conflito e violência em Cabo Delgado. Os autores consideram que o fenómeno exige uma pesquisa multidisciplinar aprofunda­da que tome em conta uma multiplicidade de factores de ordem histórica, social, política, económica e religiosa. Acesso à versão inglesa aqui. ----- This research report is a first attempt to address the phenomenon in order to understand the complexity of the dynamics not only in the origin of the Al-Shabaab group but also in the structure of the conflict and violence in Cabo Delgado. Almost two years after the first attack on Mocímboa da Praia (5 October 2017), the phenomenon has been the subject of multiple interpretations, from the (at least public) Mozambican government’s preferred thesis of a conspiracy driven by external forces opposed to Mozambique’s development, through the land conflict against the backdrop of the area’s natural resources thesis, to the sect (Morier-Genoud, 2019) and jihadism theses, in the context of the growing dynamics of violent extremism in the countries of the region i.e. Tanzania, Kenya and the Great Lakes region. While highlighting this last thesis (jihadism), our exploratory research has shown that the phenomenon is complex and requires profound multidisciplinary research that takes into account a multiplicity of historical, social, political, economic and religious factors. This is why, rather than draw conclusions, this report ends with a series of questions: • Why is Mocímboa da Praia the epicentre of the phenomenon? • How does the Mozambican state deal with the proliferation of religious institutions in the country? • What are the implications of the Islamic radicalization phenomenon for investments in the country’s northern region? To what extent can these investments heighten or reduce local cleavages and contribute to Islamic radicalization phenomenon? • To what extent does the Islamic radicalization phenomenon affect current efforts to stabilize the country politically and economically? • To what extent can regional dynamics (Tanzania, Kenya, Great Lakes region) influence the evolution of the phenomenon in Mozambique? • What kind of policies (including security) does the country need to address the phenomenon? • What lessons does the phenomenon bring to the state-building process in Mozambique? These questions feed into the ongoing research program at the Institute for Social and Economic Studies (IESE) since early 2019, involving researchers from IESE and other research centres, entitled “State, Violence and Development Challenges in Cabo Delgado”.