Mozambique: How Cabo Delgado's Riches Became Fuel for the Islamist Insurgency

For almost a decade, an Islamist group has terrorized Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province. Despite vast reserves of rubies, timber, and natural gas, the region remains the poorest in the country. Exploitation of its wealth, corruption, and alleged abuses by security forces helped fuel the insurgency. In 2017, thousands of artisanal miners were arrested for illegal mining, leading some to join the armed group Al-Shabab, linked to the Islamic State.