Mozambique: Natural Resources and a Challenge to the Established Political Order

A spate of recent security incidents in central Mozambique has highlighted the ability of opposition parties to threaten government efforts to develop resource-rich areas of the southeast African state. On April 10, for example, a prominent opposition leader admitted to ordering a recent deadly attack on a police station in central Mozambique, exposing the lack of government-provided security in opposition-controlled provinces. This dynamic has disrupted the long-established political order that has allowed the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front to ignore vast regions of the country — including those where the government is now attempting to attract foreign investment in coal and natural gas production.  

Considering the government's limited ability to invest in northern and central Mozambique, foreign companies operating there could be hampered by persistent export infrastructure issues and face increasing security vulnerabilities. With elections on the horizon and development of the country's most promising economic assets in the balance, the ruling party will need to share power and patronage with opposition elements and find ways to cultivate influence in the long-ignored regions.