After more than a decade of conflict in Cabo Delgado, women and girls are enduring sexual abuse on a sweeping scale, according to Mozambique Exposed — an investigation coordinated by Forbidden Stories, with contributions from RFI — that focuses on how women have borne the brunt of the violence.
Drawing on interviews with more than 100 people, the report details a pattern of abductions, forced marriages, sexual slavery and exploitation carried out by armed groups. It also points to alleged abuses by Mozambique’s armed forces, which the investigation implicates in rape, harassment and other forms of violence.
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For many survivors, the harm does not end when they leave captivity or flee attacks: returning home can bring social stigma and isolation within their own communities. The investigation says vulnerability to sexual exploitation has been intensified by overlapping pressures including conflict, poverty and displacement, as well as the risk of transactional sex. The findings come as violence in Cabo Delgado continues to escalate despite international security interventions, in a province that is strategically important as the location of major natural gas projects.
