Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Frontiers in Political Science

Publication Date

7-15-2026

Abstract

Contemporary literature increasingly links rising levels of armed violence in several African countries to the repercussions of climate change, particularly long-term environmental stresses such as the deterioration of agricultural livelihoods, resource scarcity, and recurrent climate shocks. However, this study argues that the relationship between climate change and violence is not an inevitable causal one, but can be understood as the result of the intersection of the failure of the post-independence nation-building project and the impacts of climate change on livelihoods and economic security. In Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, repeated climate shocks and the resulting deterioration of coastal agriculture and declining fisheries have worsened poverty, unemployment, and social marginalization, especially among young people. This has coincided with the state’s weak capacity to manage natural resources fairly and the involvement of some local elites in unbalanced partnerships with foreign companies to extract resources, which has deepened the sense of exclusion and relative deprivation, prompting young people to join armed groups seeking economic opportunities or as a form of political protest. In this context, the international response in Cabo Delgado was generally slow and ineffective. This reluctant response was mainly aimed at protecting foreign investments or expanding foreign influence in Africa. The weak state capacity to respond to climate shocks, along with the reluctant or ineffective regional/international response, has turned climate stress into a catalyst for violence. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive political and economic approach that focuses on strengthening climate resilience, improving resource management, and formulating a regional mechanism to address the underlying causes of violence in the region.

ISSN

2673-3145

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA

Volume

8

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Ansar Al Sunnah Wal Jamah, Capo Delgado, climate change, governance failure, Mozambique, violent insurgency

Scopus ID

105047359838

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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