Natural gas extraction in Cabo Delgado continues to be associated with security challenges in a context where local communities do not feel the benefits of the region’s resource wealth. The warning is contained in the Report on the State of Peace and Security in Africa, presented by Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, which identifies economic exclusion as one of the factors sustaining conflict across the continent.

According to Mahama, the population of Cabo Delgado does not view natural gas wealth as a national benefit but as yet another sign of marginalisation, underscoring the difficulties in distributing gains from natural resource extraction.

“Mozambique’s gas wealth is open, while local populations do not see that wealth as a national dividend but as yet another symbol of marginalisation,” the Ghanaian president said during the report’s presentation in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 26th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo also attended the forum.

According to the Mozambique Information Agency, the report analyses the continent’s peace and security situation between January 2025 and June 2026 and identifies four interconnected factors that shape African stability: sovereignty over natural resources, digital transformation, institutional fragility, and regional integration.

In the case of Mozambique, the report stresses the need to ensure that natural gas extraction delivers tangible benefits for local communities, adding that sound management of strategic resources and the inclusion of populations in economic opportunities are fundamental to reducing tensions and preventing conflict.

Digital transformation also features as a concern, owing to the growing use of commercial technologies by armed groups. The report flags the deployment of low-cost drones in violent operations and the exploitation of platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Telegram to spread disinformation, propaganda, and recruit young people.

The report concludes that African institutions still struggle to keep pace with these threats and to respond at the speed at which digital tools are being weaponised by extremist organisations.

A further challenge identified is the intensifying international competition for access to strategic minerals essential to the energy transition and the digital economy. The analysis finds that this competition increases African countries’ exposure to the influence of external powers and reinforces the need for greater control over natural resources.

In his address, the Ghanaian president argued that financial dependence limits the autonomy of African countries in defining their own responses to security challenges. He called for stronger regional economic integration, a crackdown on illicit financial flows, the development of local value chains, and the creation of employment opportunities for young people.

“The participation of women in peace processes and decision-making spaces is equally identified as essential for lasting stability. African governments must strengthen the presence of the state, protect populations, and honour regional commitments,” he concluded.