The study “Illegal exploitation of mineral resources and violation of human rights – 2021” describes illegal and small-scale mining in the districts of Montepuez and Ancuabe, in the province of Cabo Delgado, trying to identify the main actors and their modus operandi, immediate and underlying factors associated with the violation of human rights, as well as their connection with the outbreak of violent extremism in the province.

Furthermore, the study indicates that the Police’s repressive response to illegal gold miners (domestic and foreign), disorder, and weak supervision can create conditions for these groups to revolt against the State and join the ranks of violent extremists.

The study “Mining Exploration and the Risk of Conflict in Niassa, Zambézia, and Manica – 2022” identifies the type of exploited mineral resources, their value chain in the national and international market, as well as establishing the relationship between the various forms of mining exploitation and the occurrence of acts of conflict, corruption, and violation of human rights.

The exclusion of communities during the various phases of projects, from research and prospecting to production, combined with the feeling that resources benefit “others” and not the “natural” from which they are extracted, are the main causes of conflicts, as found in the survey.