Published On 4/7/2026
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo called on the armed groups that have been launching attacks in the Cabo Delgado region in the north of the country since 2017 to come out of the jungle and engage in dialogue, during a working visit to the troubled region, at a time when European funding for the Rwandan forces deployed there since the end of last May ended.
Chapo said at a popular gathering in Montepuez province: “Those who are in the jungle, we call on them to be rational. They are Mozambicans, and no country in the world develops through war. They themselves also suffer, and living in the jungle is not life, so we must put a hand on conscience and realize that with peace we will all emerge as winners.” Chapo called on the militants to join the “comprehensive national dialogue” process, a mechanism established in 2025 as part of an agreement to calm the situation in the country after the crisis that followed the 2024 elections, according to Lusa.
The armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, where a branch of ISIS is active, has left more than 5,000 dead and about a million displaced since its outbreak, according to Mozambican newspapers, while the conflict monitoring organization “ACLID” has recorded 6,632 deaths since 2017, in addition to 11 violent incidents carried out by ISIS militants during the first two weeks of last June, resulting in 8 deaths. The United Nations estimates that at least 28 people were killed and 49 others were kidnapped last May in attacks that targeted areas that were previously little affected by the conflict.
“Dialogue is not a strategy in itself.”
The Mozambican president’s call was met with reservations, as Zitamar News, a website specializing in Mozambican affairs, noted that Chapo did not announce an amnesty, nor a reintegration program, nor any mechanism that would allow the militants to surrender themselves safely, and he did not explain why the fighters might abandon the influence they had built in parts of Cabo Delgado in exchange for a mere invitation to talk.
The website considered that “dialogue is not a strategy in itself, but rather the conclusion of a political path, not its beginning,” noting that the conflict in the region no longer revolves only around control of the land, but also about legitimacy, after an analysis published by the ACLED organization showed that the organization seeks to gain the acceptance of some local communities through preaching, coercion, and selective violence, and presents itself as an alternative source of power.
From another angle, writer Andrew Field believes in an article on the Africa Authorized website that the rebellion is fueled by grievances, marginalization, and the absence of the state, as profits continue to flow abroad while the local population remains marginalized, pointing out that the French company Total Energies, which is preparing to resume its $20 billion liquefied natural gas project, signed a “secret” security memorandum that sparked sharp criticism from local business owners who are excluded from the economic benefits.
European funding ends
The Mozambican president’s call was met with reservations, as Zitamar News, a website specializing in Mozambican affairs, noted that Chapo did not announce an amnesty, nor a reintegration program, nor any mechanism that would allow the militants to surrender themselves safely, and he did not explain why the fighters might abandon the influence they had built in parts of Cabo Delgado in exchange for a mere invitation to talk.
The website considered that “dialogue is not a strategy in itself, but rather the conclusion of a political path, not its beginning,” noting that the conflict in the region no longer revolves only around control of the land, but also about legitimacy, after an analysis published by the ACLED organization showed that the organization seeks to gain the acceptance of some local communities through preaching, coercion, and selective violence, and presents itself as an alternative source of power.
From another angle, writer Andrew Field believes in an article on the Africa Authorized website that the rebellion is fueled by grievances, marginalization, and the absence of the state, as profits continue to flow abroad while the local population remains marginalized, pointing out that the French company Total Energies, which is preparing to resume its $20 billion liquefied natural gas project, signed a “secret” security memorandum that sparked sharp criticism from local business owners who are excluded from the economic benefits.
The visit also comes about a month after the end of European financial support for the Rwandan forces deployed in Cabo Delgado since 2021 at the request of Mozambique, amounting to 20 million euros (about 21.7 million dollars) annually through the “European Peace Facility,” according to the European “EUobserver” website.
The website stated that the European Union confirmed last January the end of funding after Rwandan forces took control of the city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Congo, and that Washington subsequently imposed sanctions on the Rwandan forces, while Paris and Total are looking for ways to continue the Rwandan mission, whose mandate includes protecting the gas project.
While Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhongirehi said that Mozambique had secured the necessary funds to continue the deployment, the website quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the Rwandan forces’ overdue payments exceed $20 million. The European Union called for strengthening the capabilities of the Mozambican armed forces, ruling out “for the time being” new funding for the Rwandan military presence.
