International donors and the Mozambican authorities are optimistic about the impact of these initiatives on national development, and claim that the rehabilitation of the ports of Beira and Nacala, and the transport corridors that connect them to Mozambique’s landlocked neighbouring countries, will also bolster regional integration. Yet reports by civil society organisations (CSOs) and parallels with resource exploitation in the colonial era suggest that this assessment may be incorrect. We analyse the present state of transport infrastructure in central and northern Mozambique as well as its envisaged expansion, shed light on the co-operation between foreign companies and the Mozambican government in respect of national infrastructure, and investigate the potential impact of this new trend on national development and regional integration.
