The Institute for Security Studies points to communication with terrorist groups as a possible solution in the fight in Cabo Delgado. The Kuendeleya Association agrees and adds social insertion and youth training.

Liesl Louw-Vaudran, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa, told DW's report that the military intervention in Cabo Delgado has helped secure certain areas, but is not enough to stop terrorism in the region.

"Some roads have been opened, areas around the big liquid natural gas project have been secured, so hopefully economic activity will return. But we have reached a point where we understand that military intervention is not enough, that we need political solutions, socio-economic solutions, in order to ensure that people can return to their land, that Cabo Delgado can develop so that economic activity can continue," Louw-Vaudran told DW.

For the researcher, communicating with terrorist groups to get them to "surrender" may be one way to stop terrorism.

Also Abudo Gafuro, president of the Kuendeleya Association, based in Cabo Delgado, proposes negotiation with those responsible for the attacks in the province, and suggests social insertion as a measure to combat the conflicts.

"Suggestions about the process of social insertion, the preparation of those who need or who are able to be reinserted within society, being defectors from those same terrorists and offering them a second chance to be able to be within the community and be accompanied. Because most of the young people don't even have the tenth grade, or even have a low level of schooling, and this makes them vulnerable."

The "deep divisions" among the foreign troops in Mozambique and the "poor communication" between the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are pointed out by Liesl Louw-Vaudran, in a study released by the Institute for Security Studies, as two "major obstacles" in the fight against terrorism.

"In March last year, there was a major attack in Cabo Delgado, and then there was a mobilization of the international community. The African Union Standby Force, which is led by SADC, the Southern African Development Community, was deployed in Cabo Delgado, but Rwanda and its defense force were also deployed. What I say in my report is that there are two military interventions in a relatively small province in Mozambique, and we have not seen any high-level discussions between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and SADC leaders like South African President Cyril Ramaphosa."

For Abudo Gafuro, the main challenge that terrorism brings is the maintenance of security. The president of the Kuendeleya Association argues that there can only be development in Cabo Delgado when it is guaranteed "the security of the region and the entire province of the north and central zone, not only keeping the security or keeping free of terrorists, Mocímboa da Praia and Palma".

"This is very important. Security is number one for the development of any socio-economic or cultural type of a country, or a nation, a province," Gafuro stressed.

Last month, the World Bank announced it was adding another $100 million to the fund it pledged at the end of 2021 to support the Mozambican government in its plan to rebuild Cabo Delgado. The organization will provide $200 million for the province's development.

According to the study released by the Institute for Security Studies, to date more than 3,800 people have died and 800,000 have been driven from their homes in Cabo Delgado.