An emboldened ISIS-affiliated insurgency is resurging in northern Mozambique, exploiting the sudden collapse of US aid programs that once helped stabilize one of Africa’s poorest and most volatile regions.
The renewed violence has plunged communities in Cabo Delgado back into fear, upending fragile gains made after years of international military and development support.
In early October, seven armed militants entered a mosque in the coastal town of Mocímboa da Praia, openly displaying an ISIS banner and delivering a confident, localized manifesto through the mosque’s loudspeaker.
Residents filmed rather than fled, a sign, analysts say, of the jihadists’ revived sense of impunity.
Mocímboa da Praia, a strategic port seized by ISIS between 2020 and 2021, had been partially stabilized following joint operations by Mozambican and Rwandan forces.
But that progress unraveled after President Donald Trump’s January executive order effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), halting $586 million in assistance, roughly 3% of Mozambique’s GDP, and disrupting over $2.4 billion in planned projects.
Since September 7, ISIS fighters have mounted an aggressive offensive, killing and beheading dozens of mostly Christian men and forcing tens of thousands to flee.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, Africa now accounts for 79% of ISIS global activity, with Mozambique contributing 11% of that in October alone, its highest level yet.
Former USAID officials and aid workers told CNN that the abrupt halt of programs created a dangerous vacuum. USAID had funded food aid, health services, HIV treatment, education programs, and local governance projects, while also backing youth employment initiatives designed to curb ISIS recruitment among fishermen and motorcycle taxi drivers.
“The abrupt end of USAID programs opened the door for insurgents to act with greater freedom and impunity,” said a former senior USAID official, noting that the insurgency is fueled by “extreme poverty, marginalization, and the absence of basic services.”
Local communities describe how the loss of aid has compounded despair. Hospitals in Mocímboa da Praia laid off staff and now struggle with shortages of basic medicines. Projects that provided equipment and administrative support to motorcycle taxi operators, a high-risk group for recruitment, were halted in February.
Fishermen who once received nets, engines, and monitoring support have been left without assistance despite ISIS fighters operating less than a kilometer away.
The human toll is acute. In Christian neighborhoods, night raids by militants have led to targeted killings. Survivors described brutal beheadings and kidnappings, leaving families displaced and destitute.
Nearly 93,000 people now crowd into makeshift camps, where dwindling international funding has forced agencies to reduce water, food, and sanitation services.
Western donors beyond the US have also pulled back. The UN’s humanitarian appeal for Cabo Delgado fell from $352 million to $126 million after cuts; only $73 million has been raised so far, with just $3.5 million from the US.
Aid groups warn they are being pushed to the brink. “2026 looks very bleak,” said the World Food Programme’s donor relations officer. UNICEF officials said they have been forced to prioritize only lifesaving interventions.
The worsening insurgency threatens major offshore natural gas projects near Palma, where Total Energies and ExxonMobil have invested billions. Despite the deteriorating security environment, Total Energies has signaled it may soon resume operations, while Exxon is expected to decide on its project in 2025.
The US, even as it slashes humanitarian aid, has backed the LNG effort through a $4.7 billion Export-Import Bank loan to support American contractors.
Yet analysts warn that the promise of gas wealth may be overshadowed by a rapidly accelerating conflict.
With communities deserted, aid programs gutted, and jihadists regaining control of key areas, Mozambique once again stands on the edge of a spiraling humanitarian and security crisis, one that experts say could have been prevented.
Source: CNN
Written By Rodney Mbua
