The Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) reported a 71% decrease in violence by Islamic extremists in northern Mozambique in 2023. This reduction is attributed to the joint offensive by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwandan forces, deployed in July 2021. The operation helped regain control of 90% of the territory held by the Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama’a insurgents. While there was an 80% reduction in violence against civilians, approximately 850,000 internally displaced people have yet to return home.
The ACSS emphasizes the need to address root causes of instability in Cabo Delgado. Despite improvements in Mozambique, deaths from violence by Islamic extremist groups on the continent increased by 20% in 2023, with over 80% occurring in the Sahel and Somalia. The Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin coalition was associated with a significant increase in deaths in the Sahel, while deaths linked to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara decreased. In Somalia, violence was primarily attributed to al Shabaab, contributing to food insecurity for 4.3 million people.