In Mozambique, armed conflict intensified in the latter half of 2025 and is expanding. The main driver of the violence is Islamic State–Mozambique (ISM), which has attacked civilians and continues to clash with Mozambican forces backed by Rwandan troops. Initially concentrated in Cabo Delgado Province, the fighting has spread to neighboring Nampula Province, affecting areas previously considered relatively safe. Most recently, the violence has forced around 100,000 people to flee, including more than 23,000 who moved from Mocímboa da Praia to Mueda, further deteriorating an already fragile humanitarian situation. Since 2017, an armed insurgency has persisted in Mozambique, displacing more than 1.3 million people and creating long-term humanitarian challenges across northern provinces.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that living conditions for people in affected areas are deteriorating rapidly. Many families are fleeing along dangerous routes and lack access to basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare. In host areas, food insecurity is rising and reception capacities are at their limit. Women and girls in particular face heightened risks of exploitation and abuse and are especially vulnerable. Humanitarian organizations are addressing urgent needs, but available resources remain insufficient. Mobile clinics have been set up to provide health and nutrition support, and food assistance and vouchers had been delivered to thousands of displaced households by the end of October. UNHCR estimates that 38.2 million US dollars will be needed in 2026 to respond to this situation.

Mozambique holds substantial gas reserves in the areas affected by the conflict, and attempts by foreign companies to develop these resources have raised serious concerns. On 18 November 2025, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) filed a lawsuit against the French energy company TotalEnergies for alleged complicity in war crimes. The case is based on acts of torture and killings of civilians by a Joint Task Force (JTF) deployed to secure gas extraction facilities, which TotalEnergies is alleged to have financed. Composed of Mozambican military personnel, the JTF allegedly carried out torture and killings of civilians following ISM attacks. According to internal documents, TotalEnergies was aware these abuses were occurring yet allegedly continued its support. TotalEnergies denies these allegations, stating that its staff left the site in April 2021 and returned in November 2021, when the attack occurred.

Learn more about Mozambique → “Crisis of democracy?: Mozambique through the 2023 local elections”

Learn more about Africa’s resources and their challenges → “Mineral resources and the world: Where do the benefits go?”

Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique (Photo: Voice of America / Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])