Mozambique Geopolitics in the Lusophone World: Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

Mozambique is a Lusophone country, located in Southern Africa, a Portuguese colony, which achieved its National Independence in 1975, after a long decade of National Liberation Struggle, conducted by the Liberation Front of Mozambique—FRELIMO, between 1964 and 1974. Between 1976 and 1992, Mozambique experienced a civil/destabilization war. After this time, Mozambican used and enhanced its geopolitical factors to facilitate its international reintegration in the post-war context. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the contours of challenges and perspectives of Mozambique geopolitics in the Lusophone World. So, the analysis of Mozambican geopolitics factors, in the Lusophone World, focuses between 1992 and 2020. Since 1990s, Mozambique began a process of international and strategic insertion, using resources from its geopolitical factors, where the Lusophone countries were always considered vital and strategic spaces, nevertheless the geographic discontinuity, for materialization of permanent national’s goals and interests. Thus, this chapter analyzes and discusses the challenges and perspectives for Mozambique geopolitics, in Lusophone World based on historical, defence and security aspects, on one hand, and the international strategic insertion, opportunities and challenges for Mozambican state in this geopolitical space, on another hand.