Curse or cure? The political implications of Mozambique's natural resources

In recent years Mozambique has experienced a resumption of armed conflict between the old civil war adversaries FRELIMO and RENAMO. The violence has been a source of concern for foreign investors that have flocked to the country’s nascent resources boom and could undermine a bright economic future. This report examines the root causes of the present violence in Mozambique, questioning the depth of the 1992 peace process and the lack of enduring political reconciliation. A conflict mindset prevails at the political level, framed by outdated characterisations. This has bred an uncompromising attitude to power and a system of elite capture for those in power. The prospect of resource riches has thus had a particularly destabilising effect; there is a great deal at stake for the eventual winners and losers.