Religion is not the main cause of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, but it is used to mobilize the rebels.

Researcher Pedro Vicente told Luce that religion is not the “root cause” of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, but is being used to mobilize rebels through Islamic radicalism.

The NOVAFRICA research centre at the Faculty of Economics of the Nova University of Lisbon (Nova SBE, in English) has carried out “a series of research studies on religious identity in Cabo Delgado,” explained Pedro Vicente, one of the centre’s founders, in Luso.

“Main idea [dos trabalhos] is to prevent dissent in a context in which, although religion is not the underlying cause of the conflict, [em Cabo Delgado, na região norte de Moçambique]”It is used to mobilize insurgents, particularly through Islamic radicalism,” said Nova SBE professor.

One of the studies was carried out in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province, with young people “to influence religious consciousness around the idea that Islam advocates peace and not violence,” he said.

“We found that this awareness reduced antisocial behavior,” he said.

“We did another study where Muslim and Christian religious leaders broadcast peace messages on eight local radio stations in Cabo Delgado. We found that these messages reduced the number of violent events,” as measured by the NGO Armed Conflict Location Data Project (ACLED) and the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), he noted.

Therefore, according to Pedro Vicente, “the involvement of local religious organizations could be an important point in the conflict prevention strategy in Cabo Delgado.”

In his opinion, “the situation in Cabo Delgado continues to be of great concern.”

The investigator said he was in Pemba in May when the Macomia attacks occurred, with about a hundred rebels looting the town, leaving several people dead and sparking heavy fighting with Mozambican defence and security forces.

“In fact, attacks are happening in a variety of locations, indicating that militants are moving frequently,” he warned.

The withdrawal of troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) “carries risks for the development of the situation, given that there is some uncertainty about the ability of the Mozambican army to provide the same presence and level of military response,” he stressed.

“I believe that, in addition to directly improving security and its military component, it is very important to continue working on developing economic opportunities for young people in Cabo Delgado and raising awareness among the population, as well as integrating displaced persons,” he said.

In his opinion, the creation of the Agency for the Integrated Development of the North was an important step by the Mozambican government in this direction, “but it is necessary to move from ideas to actions,” he concluded.

Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi highlighted on June 27 the “gradual return to normal life” in Cabo Delgado, a province that has been facing an armed insurgency since October 2017, with attacks carried out by movements linked to the Islamic State extremist group, reiterating that rebel groups currently have no bases in the region.

More than 189,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Cabo Delgado since the end of last year, the largest displacement since the start of the conflict, which has killed more than 4,000 people and displaced more than 700,000 since 2017, according to United Nations figures from June.