ABSTRACT
Violent extremism emerged in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, in October 2017, stemming from escalating tensions over social and economic grievances and dissatisfaction with state authorities. The resulting Mashababos insurgency appears to function as a decentralized and community-embedded non-state armed group. Due to its complex and dynamic nature, violence in the region therefore appears chaotic and disorderly in its manifestation. The flexibility and local adaptability of the Mashababos pose severe challenges for the local and national government, peace and development practitioners, and security and humanitarian actors. In its response, the Mozambican government has prioritized a security-first approach, welcoming foreign security operations to assist the Mozambican armed forces in their counterinsurgency efforts. Against this background, this chapter explores an alternative approach that links resilience, adaptive peacebuilding, and community-embedded prevention to address violent extremism in Cabo Delgado. It suggests that an integrated approach using these strategies will enable a process of self-sustaining peace, where the scope and pace of interventions are defined according to the local context, with the participation and agency of those most affected by violent extremism.
Keywords: Cabo Delgado, Community-embedded Prevention, Mozambique, Peacebuilding, Resilience
