Growing Apart: The Historical Construction of Difference in Northern Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

Abstract

How do past experiences of violence map onto present day narratives of insurgency in northern Mozambique? In the insurgency that began in northern Mozambique in 2017, narratives of past violent encounters and animosity between different ethnic groups sharing the coastal space emerge as a way of making sense of the conflict. This article explores the ways these narratives stem from existing historical tensions between Makonde and Mwani inhabiting the northern districts of Cabo Delgado. Drawing on ethnography and oral history to highlight the continuities in narrative, I will explore the ways in which current violence is interpreted through references to pivotal moments of violence in the past. I will address the historical construction of difference between Makonde and Mwani to consider what it may tell us about the fractures that underpin the insurgency.