Mozambique’s President Daniel Francisco Chapo has set December 2026 as the deadline for civilians and other non-state actors to voluntarily surrender illegally held firearms under Operation Amnesty Two, a police initiative aimed at reducing armed violence, curbing organized crime and strengthening national security.
The initiative is founded because Mozambique’s continuous confront with jihadist insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where insecurity has disrupted livelihoods, displaced communities and threatened economic activity. Authorities are seeking to limit the circulation of illicit weapons that can facilitate kidnappings, human/drug trafficking and other forms of organized crime.
Chapo has emphasized that public security is fundamental to preserving peace, defending national sovereignty and achieving economic independence. The policy echoes a security challenge aimed at containing armed threats, while creating conditions for communities to recover, businesses to operate and public services to reach displaced populations.
Under the amnesty, citizens who voluntarily surrender their firearms before the December deadline, will not be questioned, punished or detained for handing over the weapons. The programme is a general police amnesty, not an exclusive disarmament and reintegration agreement with insurgent fighters. Its effectiveness will therefore depend on public trust, safe surrender procedures and the authorities’ ability to reach communities, where illegal weapons remain in circulation.
The socioeconomic stakes are significant, because persistent insecurity disrupts farming, fishing, trade and investment; it deprives macroeconomic income, increase pressure on displaced families and already strained public services. Reducing the availability of illicit firearms could help limit criminal violence and support economic recovery. Although weapons collection alone cannot resolve the political, social and economic grievances that may have sponsored and sustaining insurgency.
When the amnesty expires, security forces are expected to begin forcibly collecting remaining illegal firearms. People found possessing illicit weapons after the deadline, will no longer benefit from the programme’s immunity and may face arrest, detention and prosecution under applicable law.
The government’s challenge will be to combine enforcement with community engagement, accountable policing and sustained investment in affected areas. Ultimately, the success of Operation Amnesty Two, will depend both on the number of weapons recovered and the fact that improved security will translate into safer communities, restored livelihoods and greater public confidence, in state institutions.
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