Straddling the Indian Ocean and the volatile world of racially divided Southern Africa, Mozambique has assumed an increasingly strategic position. Its 2,000-mile coastline and three major ports of Maputo, Beira, and Nacala—all ideally suited for naval bases—have long been coveted by the superpowers. No less important is Mozambique’s proximity to South Africa and Zimbabwe, which gained its independence in 1980 with substantial military and strategic assistance from Mozambique. The country’s enormous mineral potential is another key factor. Underdevelopment, oppression, and mass...