The Secretary of State for Youth and Employment revealed yesterday that at least 750 young people have already been trained as part of the reconstruction of Cabo Delgado, a province affected by terrorism since 2017.

This is an initiative aimed at stabilizing the security situation with the arrival of foreign troops in 2021, as part of efforts to create opportunities for young people and prevent recruitment by the armed groups that have been carrying out attacks in the province.

According to Oswaldo Petersburgo, who was speaking after a meeting with the Portuguese Secretary of State for Labor, Miguel Fontes, who is on a visit to Mozambique, the efforts to provide opportunities are beginning to have an effect, as the youth of Cabo Delgado are playing a crucial role in the reconstruction of the province.

"The houses and public infrastructure, including roads, that were destroyed are being rebuilt by young people, in a model of training and production," said Oswaldo Petersburgo, quoted by Lusa, highlighting Portugal's role in training trainers.

For his part, Portugal's Secretary of State for Labor stressed the need to strengthen cooperation, with several projects in the pipeline, including possible funding for the construction of a vocational training center on the island of Mozambique (Nampula), where Portuguese cooperation supports several projects.

"Portugal is interested in helping Mozambique to respond locally to the aspirations of its younger population, according to the government's priorities [...] These young people are essential for Mozambique's development," Miguel Fontes told the media in Maputo.

Unemployment and a lack of opportunities - particularly in emerging gas-related investments - have been pointed out by several observers as some of the causes of recruitment.

In recent times, various entities have been announcing projects aimed at creating opportunities for the region's youth, including the government, which created the Northern Development Agency (ADIN) to operationalize social development projects, but the problem persists.