The resurgence of an Islamic State-affiliated group in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, fueled by local grievances and the jihadists' shift toward asymmetric warfare, portends more destabilizing attacks that could deter investment in the resource-rich region. For seven years, Mozambique's northernmost Cabo Delgado province has been battling an insurgency led by Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) militants. In late 2021, Mozambican troops -- with the help of Rwandan and Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces -- successfully pushed ISM out of several areas in the region, significantly weakening the jihadist group. But despite the ongoing presence of Mozambican, Rwandan and (to a lesser extent) Tanzanian troops, ISM has resurged over the past year, with its fighters conducting more frequent but low-scale attacks, mainly in southern areas of the province. While northern areas like Palma and those near critical liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects remain under tight security, the ISM threat has nonetheless...
