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Maputo (Mozambique), 14 March 2025 – Mozambique has been affected by terrorist activity since 2017 in its northern region of Cabo Delgado. Terrorism cannot be countered solely from a military and law enforcement perspective.
It requires concerted, coordinated efforts across first responders, law enforcement and the criminal justice sector.
In response, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has supported Mozambican authorities in building a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to preventing and countering terrorism.
This effort spans key areas, including first responses, evidence collection and preservation, criminal investigation, prosecution, and the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals convicted on terrorism-related charges.
Since 2024, UNODC has provided specialized training to penitentiary officials on rehabilitation and reintegration strategies.
A key priority has been strengthening coordination between the Mozambican penitentiary system and other criminal justice institutions, including the National Criminal Investigation Service and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
As part of this ongoing effort, UNODC convened a technical meeting in March 2025, bringing together representatives from these institutions to advance cooperation.
“This technical meeting will strengthen the response against terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism in Mozambique through effective coordination between investigators, prosecutors and prison officials, by sharing information and developing integrated strategies to mitigate existing threats,” highlighted Zenobia Machanguana, National Project Officer at UNODC Mozambique.
The discussions led to the development of a joint conclusions document outlining institutional gaps and proposing mechanisms to enhance interagency cooperation. A key priority was the creation of regulatory protocols to facilitate information sharing while ensuring the protection of human rights.
Beyond strategy, operational capacity is essential. Following the technical meeting, UNODC trained a group of penitentiary officials on gender and age-sensitive approaches to managing violent extremist prisoners.
During the training, participants were sensitized to the need to address the specific vulnerabilities of different groups, particularly women and young people, with a view to strengthening prison officers' capacity to apply international human rights principles in their daily work within prison facilities.
This dual-track approach – strengthening interagency coordination while building the skills within the penitentiary system – lays the foundation for a more effective and humane criminal justice system.
By reinforcing rehabilitation pathways and improving institutional collaboration, Mozambique is taking significant steps toward a justice system that not only ensures accountability but also fosters long-term security and stability.
This initiative was made possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union.
