By Jerry Maquenzi
The recent denunciations (in reports by journalists Estácio Valoi and Izidine Achá) of the populations of Palma about the isolation of the Afungi peninsula are a living portrait of the contradictions that mark Cabo Delgado. In the heart of a province ravaged by war and poverty, stands the largest natural gas exploration project in sub-Saharan Africa. But, instead of hope and prosperity, what is installed is the frustration of expectations, the worsening of inequalities and the feeling of exclusion.
- The Evidences of Suffering
As João Feijó recalls, in his article on “Regresso das Populações e Reconstrução do Nordeste de Cabo Delgado – Do Enfraquecimento do Estado à Emergência de uma Totalândia” the population that survived the attacks found destroyed houses, looted goods, schools without material and health services limited to a few painkillers and antibiotics. In Palma, of the 44 hotels that existed before the attack on the district in April 2021, only 4 have reopened, while the fishing sector – vital for the Mwanis of the coast, has been left to fend for itself. Agriculture, benefiting populations in the interior aligned with the ruling party, received support. The result is a scenario of political, cultural and economic asymmetry that fuels feelings of invasion and marginalization.
These accounts confirm that the problem is structural: it is not just about the war, but about political choices that decide who deserves support and who can be discarded.
- Palliative Solutions That Don’t Attack the Roots
Many highlight the efforts of local and international organizations that have emerged to help rebuild lives in and around Palma. Projects to support small businesses, such as the sale of vegetables, sewing workshops, carpentry or microcredit for traders, have guaranteed some income for families who have lost everything. In addition, social cohesion initiatives promote community dialogues and help reduce tensions between displaced people and residents.
However, these efforts are palliative: they work like a band-aid on an open wound. They may lighten momentarily, but they do not cure the core problem – the lack of structural inclusion of populations in the major economic and political decisions that shape the region. It’s like trying to put out a fire with a glass of water: necessary, but insufficient. Without solid public policies of redistribution, without the presence of the State in basic services and without real integration in megaprojects, communities will continue to be on the margins.
- The Risk of the Enclave Economy
The term “enclave economy” helps to understand what happens in Afungi. It means that there is an isolated, heavily protected area where wealth is produced for export – in this case, natural gas, with no significant connection to the local economy. Jobs are limited, suppliers are largely external, and surrounding communities are left with little or no benefit.
In Cabo Delgado, the government by allowing TotalEnergies to surround Afungi is, in fact, consolidating this model. For Palma residents, this means seeing huge investments and machines operating within a few kilometers of their villages, while they continue without equipped schools, functional hospitals and passable roads. This contradiction is explosive: the gas that should bring development becomes a symbol of exclusion. And an enclave economy is not sustainable, it generates resentment, social tension and a permanent risk of violent contestation.
- Late Formation: the contradiction of the government
The Government of Mozambique itself (through its spokesperson) admits that it is necessary to train the local population to ensure their employability in gas megaprojects. This training would be essential for young people from Palma and Mocímboa da Praia to be able to compete for qualified jobs, instead of seeing foreigners and workers from other provinces occupy most of the vacancies.
The central question is: why did this investment in training not start before 2017 or throughout the years of conflict? For years, young people were recruited by insurgent groups precisely because they saw no prospects for decent employment and felt abandoned by the state. Now, when TotalEnergies is considering resuming its operations, the discourse of formation gains strength, but it is already too late for many.
This delay reveals a political contradiction: the government has always known the need to prepare the population, but preferred to postpone, prioritizing the immediate gains of the partnership with the multinational over the future of local youth. This negligence has human and social costs that cannot be ignored.
- The Pamoja Tunaweza in Contradiction
TotalEnergies has launched the Pamoja Tunaweza – “Together We Can” project, with the aim of showing that it is committed to social inclusion, reconstruction and community cohesion in Cabo Delgado. In theory, it would be an example of corporate social responsibility, aimed at bringing the company closer to the populations affected by the conflict.
But, in practice, the isolation of Afungi totally contradicts this discourse. How can a company say that it walks “together” with the communities, if it erects physical and symbolic barriers that separate the residents of Palma from the exploration areas? Isolation undermines trust, increases the sense of abandonment, and turns the rhetoric of “shared development” into an empty promise.
For ordinary citizens, the contradiction is glaring: while inclusion programmes are announced, in reality access is restricted, benefits do not arrive, and populations continue to live in poverty. The result is a gulf between proclaimed intentions and concrete actions.
- The Danger of Frustration and Isolation
Figure 1 clearly shows what happens when frustration of expectations, increased inequalities and scenarios of poverty are combined: a fertile ground is created for instability, revolt and even violence.
That is exactly what is at stake in Palma. Communities saw promises of jobs, better services and prosperity with the arrival of the gas exploration project. However, what they received was isolation, precariousness and marginalization. When expectations are frustrated so abruptly, the risk of new social upheavals or the strengthening of insurgencies increases exponentially.
Figure 1: Explanatory Triangle of the Conflict in Northern Cabo Delgado
Source: Maquenzi & Feijó (2019)
In addition, Cabo Delgado continues to be under armed attacks. Ignoring or isolating communities in this context is dangerous not only for residents, but also for the gas project itself: without social stability, no investment is safe. The isolation of Afungi is therefore a threat to both the future of the populations and the economic future of the country.
- Conclusion
What the people of Palma denounce is not only the physical isolation of Afungi. It is the symbolic and political isolation of an entire community that has been sacrificed in the name of gas. The government, by privileging TotalEnergies and allowing an enclave model, risks turning the “project of the century” into a symbol of exclusion and injustice.
Frustration grows, inequalities increase and poverty is perpetuated. If nothing changes, Afungi will not be remembered as an engine of development, but as the epicenter of a new spiral of revolt. Palma’s denunciation is therefore a warning: without inclusion, there will be no peace or prosperity in Cabo Delgado.
References
Achá, I. (25.08.2025). População de Palma Denuncia Isolamento de Afungi. In STV Notícias. Disponível em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OttsFR0U9Gs.
Feijó, J. (2023). Regresso das Populações e Reconstrução do Nordeste de Cabo Delgado – Da Fragilização do Estado à Emergência de Uma Totalândia. In Destaque Rural nº 211. Maputo. Observatório do Meio Rural.
Maquenzi, J. & Feijó, J. (2019). Pobreza, Desigualdades e Conflitos no Norte de Cado Delgado. In Observador Rural nº 76. Maputo. Observatório do Meio Rural.
TotalEnergies. (2022). Pamoja Tunaweza – Uma Iniciativa de Desenvolvimento Socioeconómico Liderada pela Comunidade. Maputo. TotalEnergies E&P Mozambique Área 1, Limitada.
Valoi, E. (14.08.2025). População de Palma quer a TotalEnergies Fora de Afungi. In Moz24h. Disponível em: https://moz24h.co.mz/populacao-de-palma-quer-a-totalenergies-fora-de-afungi/.
