Mozambique is a country in south-east Africa ruled by a single political party for decades. Its northern province of Cabo Delgado has been beset by a jihadist insurgency linked to Islamic State. In 2021 jihadists overran the town of Palma, killing at least 800 people, forcing TotalEnergies to pause work on a $20bn gas-liquefaction project nearby. The jihadists' numbers have since dwindled to perhaps 300-400 men. The area is patrolled by Rwandan soldiers, invited by the government and funded by the European Union.
TotalEnergies owns a 26.5% stake in the gas development, one of the largest foreign investments ever made on the continent. The IMF thinks annual growth could soar to 10% by the end of the decade when the project comes on stream.
In 2024 protests about electoral malpractice turned into a revolt against the ruling elite. Mobs burned police stations, raided factories and invaded mines. Security forces shot dead hundreds of protesters.
The Battle of Koom Valley is the only one known to history where both sides ambushed each other.