Mozambique has started exporting its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Cabo Delgado province, a region affected by Islamist militants, until 2020 when Rwandan forces alongside the Mozambican army launched military operations to pacify the area .

According to the BBC, the first gas exports were shipped on Monday, November 14 and are bound for Europe which is facing energy supply shocks, due to the Ukraine-Russia war.

President Filipe Nyusi is reported to have described the first shipment as ‘historic.’

The gas, extracted by Italian energy firm ENI, was exported by a British cargo ship, but its final destination was unclear.

Mozambique discovered natural gas in the coastal region of Cabo Delgado in 2010 but efforts to extract it were downplayed by years of terrorist attacks, which killed over 4,000 people.

Islamic state-linked insurgents had wreaked havoc in Mozambique’s northern region since 2017.

At the request of the Mozambican government, Rwanda deployed troops to Cabo Delgado in July 2020 to fight the terrorists.

The joint Rwanda-Mozambique operations have stabilized most of the province, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced residents to return to their homes.

With the gas discovery, Mozambique hopes to become one of the world’s biggest gas exporters.

Gas exports are expected to boost Mozambique’s economy, although President Nyusi said the country would continue to focus on agriculture, fishing and tourism to achieve development.