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‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613950713004032 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Bathromeu Mavhura |
| author2 | Lamb, Guy |
| author_browse | Bathromeu Mavhura Lamb, Guy |
| author_facet | Lamb, Guy Bathromeu Mavhura |
| author_sort | Bathromeu Mavhura |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134700 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:17.380Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134700 ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique Bathromeu Mavhura Lamb, Guy Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Mozambique -- Politics and government -- 21st century Terrorism -- Government policy -- Mozambique Terrorism -- Prevention -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Insurgency -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Political violence -- Mozambique -- History -- 21st century UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Bathromeu M. 2025. ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/8a4bca09-58ef-4f9c-ae51-f9a5e9350399 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The literature on armed conflicts indicates that labelling non-state armed groups as ‘terrorist’ and their actions as ‘terrorism’ can lead to militarised counterterrorism approaches by governments, their allies, and non-governmental organisations. Africa has been the epicentre of non-state armed conflicts, with the ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, being a current example in Southern Africa. The main research question this study investigated was: How has labelling non-state armed groups involved in armed conflicts in Africa as ‘terrorists’—with reference to the armed conflict in Northern Mozambique—influenced the conflict dynamics and responses to these conflicts by African governments, their allies, and intergovernmental organizations? By examining literature on ‘terrorism’ through the lens of labelling theory, the study investigated why such labels are applied and how they affect responses and conflict dynamics. The study aimed to identify policy gaps associated with ‘terrorist’ labelling, contribute to the discourse on ‘terrorism’ and offer alternative recommendations that can inform more nuanced approaches and policies to address the ongoing armed conflict in Cabo Delgado and Africa. Foucauldian discourse theory was used as a supporting theory to help explain how words and meanings shape political actions, specifically in relation to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) narratives. The study is grounded in Critical Terrorism Approach, which critiques the prioritisation of the ‘terrorist’ label and militaristic approaches to conflicts. The study demonstrated how the ‘terrorist’ label under the GWOT discourse dominated and influenced heavy-handed militaristic approaches globally, particularly in Africa. The securitisation concept was used to ascertain how framing ‘terrorism’ as an existential threat justifies extraordinary and urgent actions under the pretext of security. While this study is a single case study and qualitatively grounded, it drew on other cases to substantiate the relevance and significance of the research objectives. The research used reliable secondary and primary data through fieldwork in Maputo, Mozambique, written responses, and online interviews with organisations, experts, investigative journalists, and academics with expertise in armed conflict. The study found that ‘terrorist’ label has influenced the military approaches chosen by the Mozambican government and its allies to deal with Ansar Al Sunna in Cabo Delgado, thus exacerbating the grievances leading to heightened conflict. It revealed that the label ‘terrorism’ is subjective, Western-influenced, and was used to conceal the reality of the ongoing crisis in Mozambique, to promote business, private security, post-colonial interests and global securitisation agenda. The results suggest the need to re-evaluate the framing of ‘terrorism’ and the dominant Westernised counterterrorism legislative framework from a decolonial perspective to formulate context-based policies in responding to armed conflicts in Africa. Findings also suggest that collective violence should be termed ‘armed conflicts’ and further proposed the invention of a neutral term in the discourse of armed conflict ‘counter-armed-conflict’ to divert attention from ideology and Islamophobia ‘terrorist’ narratives in addressing armed conflicts. The study recommends the need for political will and commitment from the Mozambican government and its allies to embrace human-centred approaches and prioritisation of the root causes of the conflict. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar nie. Doctoral 2025-12-24T07:33:57Z 2025-12-24T07:33:57Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134700 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 287 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Mozambique -- Politics and government -- 21st century Terrorism -- Government policy -- Mozambique Terrorism -- Prevention -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Insurgency -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Political violence -- Mozambique -- History -- 21st century UCTD Bathromeu Mavhura ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title | ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title_full | ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title_fullStr | ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title_short | ‘Terrorist’ labelling, counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics: The case of contemporary armed conflict in northern Mozambique |
| title_sort | terrorist labelling counterterrorism actions and conflict dynamics the case of contemporary armed conflict in northern mozambique |
| topic | Mozambique -- Politics and government -- 21st century Terrorism -- Government policy -- Mozambique Terrorism -- Prevention -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Insurgency -- Mozambique -- Cabo Delgado Province Political violence -- Mozambique -- History -- 21st century UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134700 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bathromeumavhura terroristlabellingcounterterrorismactionsandconflictdynamicsthecaseofcontemporaryarmedconflictinnorthernmozambique |