The challenges of poverty and unemployment are driving the recruitment of youth into armed groups in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, a new study by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) has found.
The study, titled, Building Youth Resilience To Extremism in Mozambique: Perspectives from Cabo Delgado, noted that recruitment into armed groups is more common within marginalised communities with low level of human capital development (HDI).
Findings from the study show a correlation between violence and income inequality, which provide fertile ground for recruitment by extremists in the region.
The study said young people are disproportionately at risk of being recruited into extremist armed groups due to challenges of poverty, unemployment and the lack of inclusive development.
Cabo Delgado, one of Mozambique’s poorest regions, has been embroiled in a violent insurgency waged by the Ahlu-Sunna Wa-Jama’a (ASWJ) since 2017.
Data from Crisis Group shows that the conflict has claimed nearly 3,000 lives, displaced hundreds of thousands and severely impacted health, water, and shelter facilities and access to food in the region.
Data from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also shows that Cabo Delgado has a history of economic marginalisation and high unemployment rates.
Overall unemployment rate in the country stands at 27 percent, according to figures from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Additional data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) shows that many of the jobs created in and around mega-projects have not directly resulted in employment opportunities for young Mozambicans.
The UNDP also noted that majority of these jobs are highly skilled and specialised whereas the vast majority of young Mozambicans can only offer low-skilled or un-skilled labour, with women falling largely in the latter category.
‘The youth are particularly at risk of being drawn into the insurgency due to high unemployment, disruptions to education and an economy that offers little in the way of job prospects’, the report said.
‘When it comes to recruitment, desperation stemming from persistent poverty was a leading push factor cited by participants. This is largely owing to the high prevalence of unemployment among youth.
‘In some instances, youth noted that unemployment not only perpetuates cycles of poverty and deprivation but also leaves many young people feeling frustrated and more willing to take radical action that they believe might improve their circumstances’.
The report noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has also deepened the economic grievances in Cabo Delgado.
‘With restrictions on economic activity to help prevent the spread of the virus, income-earning opportunities are further limited’, it said.
‘As in many other regions with a high reliance on the informal sector, Cabo Delgado’s vulnerable population has been pushed even further towards the margins of economic inclusion.
‘Overwhelmingly, the lack of basic human needs such as food, social services, education and safety and security came through as drivers of extremism’.
The study revealed that young people generally have few channels through which they can engage with the government.
The CDD-IJR study called on the government of Mozambique to prioritise human development outcomes that help build resilience and consider macroeconomic policy interventions that can develop employment-intensive industries in Cabo Delgado.
Source: CDD Mozambique
Photo source: Alfredo Zuniga/AFP
