RUSI and Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Maputo Present OCTA Project Findings
On 13 June 2025 in Maputo RUSI, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Maputo, convened a high-level closed-door roundtable to present the findings of the Organised Crime, Terror and Insecurity in Africa (OCTA) project, with a specific focus on Mozambique.
The event brought together representatives from international organisations, diplomatic missions, academia, and civil society organisations (CSOs), fostering a timely and in-depth discussion on the evolving relationship between organised crime, terrorism, and insecurity in Mozambique.
RUSI was represented by Dr Joana de Deus Pereira, the country lead researcher for Mozambique, who led the presentation of findings. The research, carried out in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) under the leadership of Professor Adriano Nuvunga, has examined the roles played by both state and non-state actors in shaping security dynamics across the country, particularly in conflict-affected regions.
Since 2022, the OCTA project has adopted a bottom-up, field-driven approach, foregrounding local perspectives to better understand the intersection between organised crime and violent extremism in Mozambique, Nigeria and Kenya. The project is funded through the generous support of NORAD (the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation).
The roundtable also served as an opportunity for RUSI to reinforce its role as a key stakeholder in the production of independent, evidence-based research to support informed policymaking and donor engagement in the region.
