More recently Mozambique has had a period of violent and disruptive protests linked to the Presidential elections in October 2024. These protests have now all but stopped.
Cabo Delgado and the insurgency
Cabo Delgado is a very poor province in the far north of the country. It currently has, for a wide range of political, historical and economic reasons, an insurgency. This has caused many Mozambicans to be killed and many more to be displaced from their homes. The exact location of the insurgency is shifting over time and has also moved into some northern rural parts of Nampula province (not the city). Most foreign governments advise not to travel to Cabo Delgado for any reason and that seems good advice. The same advice is given to parts of northern Nampula.
Political Protests
The Presidential Elections of October 2024 were widely believed to be fraudulent, with the ruling party again being returned to power. The opposition leader Eduardo Mondlane became the people’s voice and leader of the protests. The period from October 24 through to February 25 had problems with violent protests, road blocks and police violence and killings.. A truce called between President Chapo and Mondlane has meant that these protests have now stopped. But, it is possible that they will return.
Safety on city streets
As in any city in the world there are places that are safe and sensible to visit and places that are not. Staying in the central parts of cities and largely on the tar / brick roads is a good general guide. Walking around the centre of cities is generally safe, but keep your valuables out of sight if you can. There is not really an issue using your phone to navigate etc, just also keep an eye on your surroundings. Women and girls find the streets more intimidating and often prefer not to walk on the streets alone.
Safety in accommodation
Most accommodation in cities has some form of security. Accommodation at the beach or in other locations will tend not to. But most lodges have good relationships with local communities and local communities gain employment from lodges so thefts are rarely an issue. Most accommodation options have staff that will clean your accommodation. It is very rare for this to be a problem.
Driving safety
If we ignore road safety itself, which is a whole different issue (see the article here on driving in Mozambique), safety (security) while driving in the day is not a problem. There are almost none of the problems on the road that occur in South Africa – carjackings and other crimes committed against moving vehicles are extremely rare in Mozambique. Theft of parts of your car (wing mirrors, spare tyres, lights etc) is however very common in urban areas and it is always best to find one of the many people on the street to look after your car for you while it is parked. 10 to 20mts is the usual fee for this service. Driving at night is dangerous and not recommended (except in built up areas). This is due to road safety rather than personal safety issues. Many cars and trucks don’t have working lights, people often wander into the road, potholes are hard to spot and large debris can be found on the road.
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