This report aims to map the principal security providers surrounding key mining and energy assets in Cabo Delgado, assessing their mandates, practices, and relationships. This was done to analyse the effects of these arrangements on local communities, particularly women and children, who often bear disproportionate harm from conflict-related abuses. The research combined desk-based analysis of primary and secondary sources with interviews across civil society, industry, and policy stakeholders. Several limitations of the report should be noted. Cabo Delgado’s security landscape remains fluid, with operational secrecy, contracting opacity, and fast-moving events occasionally constraining the verification of information. Access to primary data in certain high-risk localities was limited by security and logistical considerations. Where attribution was contested, this report privileges convergent findings across multiple credible sources.
