In a concerning development, the persistent armed conflict in northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado region, now in its ninth year, has displaced over 100,000 people last year alone, adding to the existing 1.3 million displaced individuals. A two-day forum convened by the Mozambican government aims to address the future of these displaced persons. The conflict, involving an ISIL-affiliated armed group known locally as al-Shabab, has persisted despite heavy troop deployments since 2017. Renewed attacks since August 2025 have intensified, affecting all 17 districts of the Cabo Delgado region for the first time and causing a surge in displacement and humanitarian needs. With no immediate military solution in sight, negotiations are being considered as a potential resolution. The conflict's history reveals that it began when several groups, mostly Muslim, formed in the neglected northern region, rich in resources such as rubies, gold, marine wildlife, and gas but also Mozambique's poorest. Agitation for fairer wealth distribution intensified with the discovery of gas in the region in 2010, leading to bloody attacks on police stations and civilians by al-Shabab fighters in Mocimboa de Praia in 2017. The group, estimated to have between 300 to 500 members, has been surviving through protecting illicit finance networks and maintaining strong local support networks. Despite the violence, fewer people are moving due to exhaustion, with many choosing to stay and endure rather than leave their crops and homes behind. Additionally, the region is experiencing more intense floods and cyclones, compounding the crisis. Cyclone Chido, in late 2024, displaced nearly 100,000 people. The group's leader, "Farido," a Tanzanian, is believed to be the new de facto leader of al-Shabab following the death of its previous leader, Abu Yasir Hassan "Abu Qasim."