Mozambican War of Independence (1964–1975)

Main article: Mozambican War of Independence

Portuguese troops during the Portuguese Colonial War,

As communist and anti-colonial ideologies spread out across Africa, many clandestine political
movements were established in support of Mozambican independence. These movements claimed
that since policies and development plans were primarily designed by the ruling authorities for the
benefit of Mozambique's Portuguese population, little attention was paid to Mozambique's tribal
integration and the development of its native communities.[32] According to the official guerrilla
statements, this affected a majority of the indigenous population who suffered both state-sponsored
discrimination and enormous social pressure. As a response to the guerrilla movement, the
Portuguese government from the 1960s and principally the early 1970s initiated gradual changes
with new socioeconomic developments and egalitarian policies.[33]

The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) initiated a guerrilla campaign against
Portuguese rule in September 1964. This conflict—along with the two others already initiated in the
other Portuguese colonies of Angola and Portuguese Guinea—became part of the so-called
Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974). From a military standpoint, the Portuguese regular army
maintained control of the population centres while the guerrilla forces sought to undermine their
influence in rural and tribal areas in the north and west. As part of their response to FRELIMO, the
Portuguese government began to pay more attention to creating favourable conditions for social
development and economic growth.[34]

Independence (1975)

FRELIMO took control of the territory after ten years of sporadic warfare, as well as Portugal's own
return to democracy after the fall of the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in the Carnation
Revolution of April 1974 and the failed coup of 25 November 1975. Within a year, most of the
250,000 Portuguese in Mozambique had left—some expelled by the government of the nearly
independent territory, some left the country to avoid possible reprisals from the unstable
government—and Mozambique became independent from Portugal on 25 June 1975. [35] A law had
been passed on the initiative of the relatively unknown Armando Guebuza of the FRELIMO party,
ordering the Portuguese to leave the country in 24 hours with only 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of
luggage. Unable to salvage any of their assets, most of them returned to Portugal penniless.[36]

Democratic era (1993–present)

Mozambique held elections in 1994, which were accepted by most political parties as free and fair
although still contested by many nationals and observers alike. FRELIMO won, under Joaquim
Chissano, while RENAMO, led by Afonso Dhlakama, ran as the official opposition.[46][47] In 1995,
Mozambique joined the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming, at the time, the only member nation
that had never been part of the British Empire.[48]

By mid-1995, over 1.7 million refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring countries had
returned to Mozambique, part of the largest repatriation witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa. An
additional four million internally displaced persons had returned to their homes.[18] In December
1999, Mozambique held elections for a second time since the civil war, which were again won by
FRELIMO. RENAMO accused FRELIMO of fraud and threatened to return to civil war but backed down
after taking the matter to the Supreme Court and losing.[49][50]

In early 2000, a cyclone caused widespread flooding, killing hundreds and devastating the already
precarious infrastructure.[51] There were widespread suspicions that foreign aid resources had been
diverted by powerful leaders of FRELIMO. Carlos Cardoso, a journalist investigating these allegations,
was murdered,[52][53] and his death was never satisfactorily explained.[54]

Indicating in 2001 that he would not run for a third term,[55] Chissano criticised leaders who stayed on
longer than he had, which was generally seen as a reference to Zambian President Frederick Chiluba
and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.[56] Presidential and National Assembly elections took
place on 1–2 December 2004. FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won[57] with 64% of the popular
vote, and Dhlakama received 32% of the popular vote. FRELIMO won 160 seats in Parliament, with a
coalition of RENAMO and several small parties winning the 90 remaining seats. Guebuza was
inaugurated as the President of Mozambique on 2 February 2005[58] and served two five-year terms.
His successor, Filipe Nyusi, became the fourth President of Mozambique on 15 January 2015.[59][60]

From 2013 to 2019, a low-intensity insurgency by RENAMO occurred, mainly in the country's central
and northern regions. On 5 September 2014, Guebuza and Dhlakama signed the Accord on Cessation
of Hostilities, which brought the military hostilities to a halt and allowed both parties to concentrate
on the general elections to be held in October 2014. However, after the general elections, a new
political crisis emerged. RENAMO did not recognise the validity of the election results and demanded
the control of six provinces – Nampula, Niassa, Tete, Zambezia, Sofala, and Manica – where they
claimed to have won a majority.[61] About 12,000 refugees fled to Malawi.[62] The UNHCR, Doctors
Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch reported that government forces had torched villages
and carried out summary executions and sexual abuses.[63]

In October 2019, President Filipe Nyusi was re-elected after a landslide victory in general election.
FRELIMO won 184 seats, RENAMO got 60 seats and the MDM party received the remaining 6 seats in
the National Assembly. Opposition did not accept the results because of allegations of fraud and
irregularities. FRELIMO secured two-thirds majority in parliament which allowed FRELIMO to re-
adjust the constitution without needing the agreement of the opposition. [64]

Since 2017, the country has faced an ongoing insurgency by Islamist groups.[65][66][67] In September
2020, ISIL insurgents captured and briefly occupied Vamizi Island in the Indian Ocean.[68][69] In March
2021, dozens of civilians were killed and 35,000 others were displaced after Islamist rebels seized the
city of Palma.[70][71] In December 2021, nearly 4,000 Mozambicans fled their villages after an
intensification of jihadist attacks in Niassa.[72]