The U.S. is reiterating its support for Mozambique in the country’s fight against Islamist militants in oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. A visiting U.S. official said the U.S. will continue to provide security assistance and work with the World Bank to help build schools and hospitals in the troubled region.

Dafna Rand, the U.S. State Department’s director of the office of foreign assistance, spoke with VOA during a three-day visit to Mozambique that wrapped up Tuesday.

Rand said that to undermine support for the militants, the U.S. is appealing to young Mozambicans to “dream big,” complete their education and build their own communities in hopes of boosting Mozambique’s economic stability.

She said Washington also is trying to bolster the military to better defend vulnerable communities.

“One area here is to ensure that young people do not appeal to radical groups. So, that is very important,” she said. “We also press to have a security partnership with the Mozambican forces, and we are working and training in cooperation on the defense and security side.”

Oil giants Exxon Mobil and Total are among the big international energy companies developing natural gas projects offshore in northern Mozambique.

But the Mozambican government has struggled to stop attacks from militants in Cabo Delgado since October 2017 despite the assistance of troops from Rwanda and countries in the Southern Africa regional bloc SADC.

Humanitarian organizations estimated that the conflict in Cabo Delgado resulted in close to 5,000 casualties, and according to the U.N High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, about 1 million people have been displaced from their homes since this crisis started in 2017.

Little is known about the insurgents, though initial attacks were claimed by a group known as Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama. More recently, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks.

According to Rand, addressing terrorism in Mozambique requires multiple measures, including local development programs and building basic infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.

“We are looking at programs that will increase infrastructure,” she said. “We are working with the World Bank to support their efforts to make sure there are schools, hospitals and that local governments have basic things like identity papers and that they are functioning. That is the top priority for us right now.”

Mozambique ranks among the least developed countries in the world. The United States is the largest bilateral donor to the country, providing over $560 million in assistance annually.
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