Journal Article | Jun 2026

Pragmatic security shift? How Mozambique bypassed SADC in favour of Rwanda and why it matters

Sidumo, Egna (2026)
in Third World Quarterly 1-20 p.

Download this publication

https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2026.2680223

This article examines Mozambique's decision to bypass SADC in favour of a bilateral security partnership with Rwanda during the Cabo Delgado insurgency. Drawing on Process Tracing and fieldwork in Mozambique it argues that this shift was shaped by elite interest, institutional inefficiences, regional power dynamics and  informal political networks. The article contributes to debates on african agency, sovereignty, bilateralism and the future relevance of regional organisations responding to insurgency, terrorism, and other transnational security challenges. 

Read more:
https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2026.2680223

See also: