Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Mozambique

Country Overview:  In 2024, ISIS-Mozambique (ISIS-M) expanded into areas previously considered safe for internally displaced persons, increasing violence in Cabo Delgado Province districts and spreading into Nampula Province’s Erati and Memba districts.  Between December 2023 and May 2024, ISIS-M attacks in Cabo Delgado displaced 189,000 people—the largest wave since 2017, according to the UN and humanitarian organizations.  ISIS-M has previously claimed to target Christians and Christian villages.  In January and September, two separate attacks killed 21 Christians in total.  In the September attack, media outlets reported that attackers separated victims by name and executed those assumed to be Christian.

Security operations prevented the conflict from spilling into Tanzania after the two countries reopened several border entry points in 2023.  The Mozambique government convenes interfaith outreach to strengthen community-government relations and resistance to terrorist recruitment, especially among youth and displaced populations.

Mozambique remained on the FATF gray list in 2024.  Mozambique continued accepting military assistance from Rwanda, Tanzania, and the EU.  In May, the Rwandan Defense Forces announced deployment of an additional 2,000 troops to Cabo Delgado, bringing the RDF mission to roughly 4,500 soldiers, although it is unclear whether RDF has deployed all committed forces.  In July, Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces concluded their mission, with remaining South African forces departing over subsequent months.  In August, the government signed an agreement with the EU, transitioning the EU Training Mission to an expanded EU Military Assistance Mission with a mandate through June 2026.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  Mozambique reported 150 terrorist attacks with 263 fatalities in 2024, mostly by ISIS-M.  ISIS-M increased its use of IEDs, complicating security for humanitarian organizations and increasing risk to civilians.  ISIS-M activity and violence caused a 300 percent increase in civilian fatalities from June 2023 to June 2024.

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