The discovery of massive gas reserves in Mozambique is exposing the once peaceful country to external forces.

Mozambique is in the throes of an insurgency by Islamic State-linked militants. Armed groups, known locally as al-Shabab ("young people" in Arabic), have been sowing terror for more than three years in the strategic province of Cabo Delgado, which borders Tanzania and is an area that is rich in natural gas. More than 2,600 people have died in the conflict and more than 670,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.