Entering Into the Fray? The Extremist Threat in Cabo Delgado: Strategic Policy Choices for South Africa and SADC

The extremist threat in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique has been on the rise since October 2017, with recent reports pointing to a 300% escalation between 2019 and 2020 in violent events that have so far claimed over 1495 lives and resulted in the internal displacement of over 250000 people. The risk of regional spill-over and looming humanitarian crisis has gripped the attention of neighbouring countries and the regional body, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). In an initial step to map out strategic policy choices for national and regional decision makers in the context of the complex and rapidly evolving dynamics of the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, the IGD convened a closed webinar on 20 August 2020 with a range of stakeholders and experts to gather insights from the political, security, humanitarian, civil society, foreign policy and corporate dimensions. This policy brief captures crucial aspects identified from the afore-mentioned proceedings that will be of relevance for policy makers and analysts keeping a close eye on the trajectory of violent extremism in northern Mozambique, and the region at large.