Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that ongoing conflict in Northern Mozambique is jeopardizing education, with the military use of schools on the rise despite a decrease in direct school attacks. The conflict, primarily centered in the Cabo Delgado province, began in 2017 when armed insurgent groups started attacking towns and villages. This has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, leading to a significant humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations reported that 220 schools were attacked from the onset of the conflict until 2021. A recent report cited by HRW shows that while attacks on educational facilities have decreased, the military’s occupation of schools has increased. The report documents 12 instances of schools being used for military purposes by the Mozambique military during the 2022-2023 period, a marked rise from the previous period where no cases were reported. Four of these schools have been occupied for over a year.
HRW has urged the Mozambican government and military to refrain from using school premises for military purposes and to ensure that schools remain places for learning and teaching, not military encampments. The organization also highlighted the Safe Schools Declaration, a political agreement aimed at preventing and addressing attacks on educational institutions and which Mozambique endorsed in 2015.