World News
Violence surges in northern Mozambique as displacement crisis worsens
A renewed offensive by an ISIL-affiliated group in Cabo Delgado has pushed displacement past 1.3 million, prompting government discussions on negotiations and the status of displaced citizens.
The short version
- Renewed conflict involving an ISIL-affiliated group in Cabo Delgado has affected all 17 districts of the region, displacing more than 100,000 people recently and raising total historical displacement to 1.3 million.
- Humanitarian aid operations are facing severe funding shortfalls, leaving roughly 1.8 million people in need of assistance while organizations scale back or exit the region.
- President Daniel Chapo has indicated potential openness to exploring talks with armed leadership alongside ongoing military operations, though identifying leaders to negotiate with remains a key challenge.
Key facts
- Over 1.3 million people have been displaced in Cabo Delgado since the conflict began in 2017, with 100,000 newly displaced in late 2025.[Al Jazeera]
- The latest surge in violence affected all 17 districts of the Cabo Delgado region for the first time.[Al Jazeera]
- The armed group, known as ISMP or al-Shabab locally, maintains an estimated 300 to 500 members.[Al Jazeera]
- SADC troops withdrew from Mozambique in 2024, leaving around 5,000 Rwandan Defence Forces soldiers primarily stationed around a liquefied natural gas project area.[Al Jazeera]
- UNICEF reports that approximately 1.8 million people in the region require aid, including one million children.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether government-level negotiations with ISMP can be established, as identifying specific leaders and their motivations presents a challenge.[Al Jazeera]