Following the donor-designed path to Mozambique’s US<i></i>$2.2 billion secret debt deal

Strenuous efforts by donors and lenders over four decades turned Mozambique from a socialist success story into a neoliberal capitalist one. The private sector dominates; a domestic elite dependent on foreign companies has been created. But a secret US$2 billion arms and fishing boat deal involving Swiss and Russian banks and Mozambican purchases from France, Germany, and Israel, with large profits on all sides, was a step too far down the donor’s capitalist road. The International Monetary Fund cut off its programme and western donors ended budget support

Debt and development

Sets out the roots of the debt crises of the 1980s and 2000s, and shows the similarities between the most recent financial crisis in the North and earlier debt crises in the Global South. Lending to developing countries is linked to economic cycles and capital surpluses, to ‘loan pushing’ and default, and to the political interests of lenders. Meanwhile, the South has become a lender to the North and as a contributor to initially moderating a northern financial crisis. The chapter also sets out the concepts of illegitimate and odious debt and changes in lending that increase the liability of lenders. (Chapter substantially revised for this second edition.

Just give money to the poor

Poverty is increasing and deepening in Mozambique and the gap between the poorest half of the population and the better off half is widening, despite the rapid rise in GDP and the impressive expansion of roads, electricity and schools. Cash transfers may offer a way to pull poor Mozambicans out of the poverty trap

Is the International Community Helping to Recreate the Pre-Conditions for War in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone, conflict, government, aid, corruption

Mozambique’s Elite – Finding its Way in a Globalized World and Returning to Old Development Models

What makes elites developmental instead of predatory? We argue that Mozambique’s elite was developmental at independence 35 years ago. With pressure and encouragement from international forces, it became predatory. It has now partly returned to its developmental roots and is trying to use the state to promote the creation of business groups that could be large enough and dynamic enough to follow a development model with some similarities to the Asian Tigers, industrial development in Latin America, or Volkskapitalisme in apartheid South Africa. But Mozambique’s elite has also returned to two other traditions – that development is done by the elite and by foreigners. There is little support for development of local SMEs and agricultural development has been left to foreign-owned plantations

Is Mozambique's elite moving from corruption to development?

Mozambique's elite has responded to five decades of rapid change and international pressure by staying united and steering a course that tried to balance the conflicting pressures of national development, self-interest, and the demands of the international community. This paper argues that after a period of donor-supported corruption, crude rent-seeking and unsuccessful Washington Consensus policies, the elite has shifted into using the state to promote the creation of business groups that could be large enough and dynamic enough to follow a development model with some similarities to the Asian Tigers, industrial development in Latin America, or Volkskapitalisme in apartheid South Africa

Poverty is not being reduced in Mozambique

The paper presents a wide range of data on Mozambique and examines what this shows about changes to poverty and income levels over the past decade. The authors point to the lack of changes in farming practice which is contributing to the persistence of poverty and consider cash income and the poverty trap in Mozambique. The paper goes on to discuss the failure of donor-led development models and looks at Mozambique and other countries for alternative policies that might reduce poverty and raise agricultural production. Finally, the paper considers the arguments for and against a change of policy in the future

Mozambique’s Elite – Finding its Way in a Globalized World and Returning to Old Development Models

What makes elites developmental instead of predatory? We argue that Mozambique’s elite was developmental at independence 35 years ago. With pressure and encouragement from international forces, it became predatory. It has now partly returned to its developmental roots and is trying to use the state to promote the creation of business groups that could be large enough and dynamic enough to follow a development model with some similarities to the Asian Tigers, industrial development in Latin America, or Volkskapitalisme in apartheid South Africa. But Mozambique’s elite has also returned to two other traditions – that development is done by the elite and by foreigners. There is little support for development of local SMEs and agricultural development has been left to foreign-owned plantations.Mozambique, elite, corruption, development, Guebuza, national capital

Joseph Hanlon: Elections losers often cry fraud. Can we use data to check?

Our new open-access website contains detailed results of all Mozambique elections since 1999 – right down to local level in most cases. This promises to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in issues of fraud and democracy, explains visiting Senior Fellow, Joseph Hanlon

Bangladeshis have become activists in the fight against climate change

Aid agencies continue to raise money by portraying Bangladeshis as helpless victims displaced by climate change who need our charity. But that is wrong, Joseph Hanlon argues in a new book, because it totally misunderstands the ecology and history. Bangladesh is hugely vulnerable to climate change, but refuses to be a victim