Exploration work for oil is underway off the coast of the Angoche district, in the province of Nampula, in northern Mozambique, in order to determine how much of the raw material there is and whether it is commercially viable.

"The feasibility study is underway, but at the moment, as the district government, we may not have very well-supported information. We are hopeful that as time goes by Angoche will explore for oil," said the district administrator, Bernardo Alide.

Assuming that areas where natural resources occur are the target of terrorist attacks, the Governor of Nampula appeals to the young people of Angoche to resist attempts to recruit them to suspected armed groups.

"We, as young people, must be vigilant so that we are not deceived. We are saddened here in Nampula province to see young people appearing to regret [aligning themselves with terrorist groups]," said Manuel Rodrigues.

The governor said that false promises of employment and low pay have turned some young people in Nampula into murderers, and according to STV, the coastal area of the province has been indicated as a prime recruiting ground for terrorists.

The plans to explore for oil in Angoche are long-standing. As early as 2021, according to Deutsche WelleNampula NGOs have reportedly been denied access to the study area for six years. Civil society accuses the government of a lack of transparency in the matter.

The tender to carry out research in Angoche was launched in 2014, and companies were also being sought to carry out research in the maritime areas of the Rovuma Basin, in the Zambezi River Delta, as well as in the terrestrial areas of Palmeiras and around Pande-Temane.