strategy page has a long essay about Mozambique, including the ISIS types attacking their natural gas facilities in the north, and the generalized corruption.
July 12, 2025: In the southeast African nation of Mozambique there has been there have been a growing number of violent political demonstrations in the north since late last year. So far, the police have shot dead over 300 violent civilian protestors. The demonstrations have evolved into criminal activity like kidnapping for ransom. The kidnappings are made more painful because over a hundred children have been taken.they then go on to explain how the Natural gas riches has not made locals rich: No locals were skilled enough to run the places, and the local politicians got rich instead of investing it to help the locals. Hence rebellion, and like in Syria, the best trained and most aggresive rebels were the ISIS trained ones.
one difference between the MSM coverage and SP is that StrategyPage gives the background, in this case the history going back before the Portuguese:
For over a thousand years Mozambique has, like many other parts of East Africa, consisted of coastal cities that prospered by serving as marketplaces where people from the interior could obtain all manner of foreign goods. Mozambique was part of a vast trading network using dependable seasonal winds to allow ships to move goods from East Africa to the Persian Gulf, India and Indonesia.There is a recent book about how this monsoon trade and India have been ignored in the history books in favor of the more trendy Silk road with China ideas which are more trendy.
The problem now is that those with an education were thrown out with independence. then came civil wars, displacement of populations, death from famines, South African mercenaries,
A lot of people have left the country, including the educated Portuguese who fled with independence. But what about in recent years?
A lot of people of course have moved to nearby coutries for jobs in the mines etc.Grok answer about local countries who have migrants:
https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg%3D%3D_740e0868-78e1-44c0-ba99-c3d4a907a2b1
short summay of Grok:
**Migration to South Africa:** - Mozambique has historically been a major source of migrants to South Africa, primarily for work in mining, agriculture, and informal sectors. A 2022 estimate suggests 462,000 Mozambicans were living in South Africa, though this includes pre-2000 migration. ,,,,-Historical context: Between 1979 and 1992, 1.7 million Mozambicans fled to neighboring countries, including South Africa, due to civil war, but many returned post-1992. Since 2000, migration has been driven by economic factors rather than conflict. ...
