The Maritime and Cross-Border Threats From Islamic State Mozambique Continue

Maritime and border security in northern Mozambique have stayed dangerously volatile in 2026. Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) holds a firm grip on coastal areas of Cabo Delgado Province in the North of the country, especially around Mocímboa da Praia and Macomia and on the border with Tanzania. The group relies heavily on the sea for logistics, smuggling supplies, and ambushing local fishing communities, often causing deaths and injuries to civilians.

Google Earth Satellite Image of islands off the coast of Cabo Delgado

In early 2026, Mozambique’s Northern coast has witnessed a disturbing escalation of violence involving both ISM and government forces. On 12 January, ISM militants demonstrated their continued operational freedom along the coast by kidnapping 27 fishermen near Olumbi and raiding Quifuqui island for food supplies. Just over a week later, on 18–19 January, insurgents intensified their campaign by launching mortar attacks on Rwandan positions supporting Mozambican forces at Mucojo and Pangane, an assault that resulted in at least one civilian death in Pangane. Tensions further escalated in March when government forces themselves became implicated in civilian casualties. On 6 March, Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (Mozambique Defence Armed Forces, FADM) navy soldiers shot at a boat near Lucete, north of Calugo and it remains unclear whether the boat was carrying civilians or militants. This pattern culminated on 15 March when FADM opened fire on fishing boats off Mocímboa da Praia during patrols, killing at least 13 civilians. This reflects a troubling trend of government forces blurring the lines between insurgents and local populations in their maritime operations. More international maritime support is clearly needed here.

Adding to the instability, Mozambican authorities reported capturing 10 Tanzanian nationals suspected of terrorism on 4 April, near Mandimba village in northern Cabo Delgado. This operation highlights a fact that most forget: cross-border connections fuel the conflict in Mozambique and this needs to be addressed to effectively counter the ISM threat.

ISM exploits the coastline masterfully, using speedboats to dart between villages and islands. This disrupts subsistence fishing (the main lifeline of the locals who live here), and allows ISM to secure logistical corridors into Tanzania. Islands that were once safe havens for displaced people, now face routine raids from the very people they fled from, which shows that not enough is being done to protect IDPs in Cabo Delgado.

The FADM has ramped up patrols, but their approach often appears indiscriminate, with attacks on civilian boats aimed at choking ISM supply lines. Regional allies like Rwanda are there to provide support, but they both need more help (be that training or actual military/naval deployment) to end the accidental killing of civilians.

While fishermen bear the brunt, the risk from ISM extends to maritime traffic through the occasional targeting of foreign-flagged vessels, which raises alarms for international shipping routes in the Indian Ocean. This is something that could easily result in an increase in international tensions, the last thing the world needs right now.

In conclusion, Northern Mozambique’s seas remain a battleground, where ISM thrives on chaos and where military activity aimed at countering terrorism results in a loss of trust through the killing of civilians caught in the middle. Coordinated international efforts are urgently needed to protect civilians, monitor the border with Tanzania and secure one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.

Beach in Pangane. Source: https://www.accommodationmozambique.co.za/cabo-delgado/mocimboa-da-praia/activities-and-attractions/cabo-delgado-lighthouse-mocimboa-de-praia/