Mozambique’s Army Is Losing a Crucial Counter-Insurgency Battle

Foreign training has strengthened the army, but abuses against civilians undermine the community support needed to defeat insurgents.

When terrorists attacked Cabo Delgado nine years ago on 5 October 2017, the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (FADM) was taken by surprise, despite its three decades of experience fighting armed conflicts inside the country.

Until then, Mozambique had been largely spared the terrorist threats experienced by other African countries and beyond. The FADM had scant…