Mozambique was declared landmine-free in 2015, after 22 years of work by HALO. We returned there in 2022 to start a weapons and ammunition management project.
Mozambique currently faces several significant security threats. The principal threat is in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, which has been plagued by jihadist terrorism, primarily from the group Ansar al-Sunna, which is linked to ISIS. This conflict has led to thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people
The ongoing violence has created a severe humanitarian crisis, with many people lacking access to basic needs such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, and education. Many internally displaced people have not been able to return to their homes due to continued violence and destruction of infrastructure.
The conflict has the potential to destabilise the broader region. Lack of the proper storage standards and financial resources has allowed weapons to be diverted from government stockpiles and circulate around Mozambique, fuelling violence. Diverted weapons and ammunition, traded across borders, exacerbates terrorism and crime across the subregion.
OUR IMPACT
We returned in 2022 to support the Mozambican Armed Forces in developing an effective weapons and ammunition management capacity. This involves building and restoring armouries to secure weapons and ammunition stockpiles and training state security forces in armoury management and storekeeping.
Since restarting operations in 2023, HALO has trained 14 security personnel and constructed 10 mobile containerised armouries to support and develop Mozambique’s capacity to keep weapons safe and out of the wrong hands - with additional trainings scheduled through the end of 2024. This includes training in ammunition management, storage, and accountancy, small arms and light weapons control, armoury management, and explosive ordnance disposal to international standards.
In 2023, HALO supported AFRICOM’s Requirements Determination Site Survey, which was led by the DoD and the U.S. Embassy Office of Security Cooperation. This assessment established a baseline for Mozambique’s physical security and stockpile management capacity, identified gaps, and helped identify areas for intervention. Working with AFRICOM and the U.S. Embassy ensures HALO’s work in Mozambique is in line with U.S. security priorities.
We also collaborate with existing DoD and AFRICOM training programs, designed to support the Mozambican Armed Forces in combatting terrorism. Our work in Mozambique supports both security and counterterrorism by directly combatting arms diversion and strengthening the capacity, skills, transparency, and good governance of the local forces. This work to support security also ultimately progresses the goals of the Global Fragility Act.
