Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has called for stronger cooperation among African countries and international organisations to protect the continent’s natural resources amid growing international competition for strategic minerals, natural gas and oil.
Speaking at the 12th Tana Forum in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, on Saturday, October 24th, Chapo argued that geopolitical rivalries and the global energy transition require African countries to coordinate their efforts to ensure that natural resources contribute to the development of the countries that possess them. “Africa, which holds some of the world’s largest mineral reserves, is becoming a battleground for big elephants. And when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” he warned.
Chapo drew a direct link between resource discovery and insecurity, citing Mozambique’s experience in Cabo Delgado, where gas reserves were discovered in 2016 and terrorism emerged in 2017. “It is too much of a coincidence that wherever resources are discovered, terrorism also appears,” he said, calling for African countries to unite to protect their resources.
The president highlighted Mozambique’s counter-terrorism efforts in Cabo Delgado as an example of effective African cooperation, pointing to the SADC military mission (SAMIM), bilateral collaboration with Rwanda, coordination with Tanzania on border security, and the involvement of local forces. He argued that responses to conflicts must combine regional efforts, bilateral agreements and community participation.
Chapo also called for reform of the United Nations Security Council to grant Africa permanent representation, arguing that the continent’s absence from these positions limits its participation in decisions on international peace and security. “As long as we continue to discuss security in Africa at the level of the UN Security Council without a permanent seat, it will be very difficult to resolve the security question on the African continent,” he said.
The Mozambican leader stressed that multilateralism is being called into question, with a growing preference for bilateral arrangements tied to resources, and urged the African Union, SADC and the United Nations to strengthen coordination in conflict prevention and resolution. He called for dialogue between African nations and the international community on global security, arguing that the contest for natural resources demands stronger multilateral mechanisms.
Chapo’s remarks come as Mozambique moves to secure greater value from its mineral wealth, with the government signing $4.2 billion in investment memorandums for mineral processing projects and planning to raise the state mining stake to 20 per cent. The push for local processing and value addition aligns with calls from other African leaders, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who emphasised the importance of processing minerals on African soil to increase value addition, create jobs and broaden benefits for local economies.
For Africa, the challenge is to ensure that the race for critical minerals and energy resources delivers development rather than conflict, with Chapo’s call for unity and multilateralism offering a framework for collective action.
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