Tanzania is the only country with a land border with Cabo Delgado province. Despite this, its response to the conflict has always been restrained. This was clear under President John Magufuli, whose view was that the conflict was a problem for Mozambique to solve. Though considerably more engaged under his successor President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s approach remains restrained, focused on advancing Tanzania’s security interests. 

The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) has been directly engaged in operations against Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) in Cabo Delgado’s Nangade district through the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) since July 2021 and separately through a bilateral agreement with Mozambique since October 2022. With SAMIM set to have fully withdrawn by July 2024, the TPDF will remain in Mozambique, making Tanzania a significant party to counter-insurgency and stabilization operations in the future. This actor profile begins by introducing Tanzania’s historical involvement in Mozambique. It then examines the political imperatives that initially prevented the TPDF’s direct engagement in the Cabo Delgado conflict before a change in the presidency ushered in a more interventionist approach.