By Tiago J.B. Paqueliua
When War Becomes the System
Since 2017, Cabo Delgado—once hailed as a beacon of economic hope with the discovery of vast natural gas reserves—has descended into a theatre of terror, darkness, and national disgrace. The recent call from business leaders for the urgent reinstatement of military escorts along the EN380 highway, following a wave of extortion and brutal attacks by jihadist groups, has reignited debates around the credibility of Mozambique’s counterterrorism strategy. At the heart of it lies a disturbing question: Is the State absent, complicit—or entirely captured?
This article proposes a critical, cross-disciplinary lens—bringing politics, law, economics, sociology, theology, philosophy, and security studies into conversation with the lived reality on the ground. The goal is not only to expose the contradictions but also to suggest practical, multisectoral, and interconnected responses.
State: Battlefield or Peacekeeper?
Political theorist Thomas Hobbes envisioned the State as the only force capable of ending the “war of all against all.” In Cabo Delgado, the opposite is often true: the State retreats or delegates its powers to militias, private firms, foreign troops, or loosely organized “local forces.” Civilians are trapped—caught between terrorist bullets and the informal violence of rogue armed actors.
Max Weber defined the State as the entity with a “legitimate monopoly on violence.” But in Cabo Delgado, that monopoly is increasingly fractured. Citizens report paying bribes at checkpoints run by military and police—often indistinguishable from the extortion tactics of jihadist militants. At this point, who qualifies as the real terrorist? The question is no longer rhetorical.
Terrorism and the Economy: When Capital Becomes the Hostage
The Mozambican business community’s appeal for secure transit is not just a logistical concern—it’s a cry for help. Trucks are torched, drivers kidnapped, ransoms demanded on public roads, and even ambulances looted. Commerce is bleeding.
Economist Adam Smith underscored the role of security in economic development. Without it, supply chains collapse, investments flee, and hunger spreads—not just metaphorically. As Nobel laureate Amartya Sen warned, “structural insecurity” is a silent killer that blocks access to food, healthcare, education, and dignity.
Human Rights and the Ethics of Resistance
State institutions in Cabo Delgado have shown more interest in silencing whistleblowers than in stopping insurgents. Journalists, human rights defenders, and NGO workers are harassed, threatened, and sometimes forced into hiding.
Hannah Arendt warned that authoritarian regimes often survive not through strength, but through the manipulation of fear and propaganda. The recent attack on an ambulance between Awasse and Macomia—where patients were robbed and ransomed—is not an outlier. It is a war crime in broad daylight. This is not merely insurgency; it is a war against humanity.
Theology of Collective Suffering
Where is God in Cabo Delgado? Liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez suggests God walks with the displaced and the humiliated. If so, then every stolen ambulance and every extorted citizen is not just a policy failure—it’s a spiritual offense.
Jihadist terror invokes a God of vengeance, twisting scripture into a theology of death. Friedrich Nietzsche’s warning echoes loud: “He who fights monsters must take care not to become one.”
What Can Be Done? A Systemic, Multidimensional Response
No single solution will end this war. But a coordinated mix of military professionalism, institutional reform, and humanitarian urgency might offer a path forward.
Key Proposals to Address the Crisis in Cabo Delgado
1. Immediate Security Actions
Reinstate military escorts along the EN380 with fixed schedules and secure convoys.
Establish permanent military outposts in hotspot zones (Silva Macua, Awasse, Catupa, Rio Messalo, Nangololo).
Launch targeted operations to dismantle jihadist bases, using coordinated land and air intelligence—possibly with international support.
Secure the Messalo River, often used as an insurgent corridor.
2. Combatting Institutional Banditry
Ban all extortion at checkpoints—by military, police, or “local forces”—with surveillance cameras and anonymous tip lines.
Criminalize illegal bribes, including prison terms and dishonourable discharge for repeat offenders.
Investigate and prosecute senior officers who condone or cover up such abuse.
3. Human Rights and Press Freedom
End the persecution of journalists and NGOs by establishing an international human rights observatory in Cabo Delgado.
Allow both local and international reporters to monitor military and humanitarian operations.
Ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, committing to global war crimes standards.
4. Socioeconomic Reconstruction
Provide civil documentation, temporary shelters, and emergency schooling for internally displaced people.
Create secure humanitarian corridors overseen by neutral international forces.
Offer risk insurance and tax incentives for local investors to restart economic activity.
Conclusion: No Victory Without Justice
Mozambique will not defeat terrorism in Cabo Delgado through bullets alone. It will take ethics, transparency, institutional rebuilding, and the courage to aim weapons at the real enemies—not at its own people.
This is a structural crisis, but it requires a civilizational response. To liberate Macomia is not enough; the country must also liberate its institutions from fear, corruption, and complicity.
“Freedom is always the freedom of those who think differently.”
— Rosa Luxemburg
