By investigating the factors that contribute to and the risks posed by the series of armed insurgent attacks by Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamo (ASWJ), also locally known as Ansar al-Sunna and Al-Shabaab, since October 2017 in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, this report aims to discuss the context and propose ideas for effective counter-insurgency measures with a minimally intrusive military footprint.
Since Q3 2017, and up to early December 2018, analysts have recorded 51 attacks that appear to be growing in intensity and lethality, despite the arrest of almost 500 suspects. The group’s activities pose a potentially devastating threat to the promise of lucrative on- and off-shore gas exploration and extraction operations by multinational corporations such as Anadarko and ExxonMobil, in addition to terrorizing local populations.
The suggestions focus on installing a small specialized military presence, intelligence gathering capabilities, multi-party liaisons, anti-smuggling operations, and cross-border cooperation to curtail the ability of ASWJ to terrorize civilians, imprint their radical Islam ideology and conduct organized crime activities.
