Paper short abstract:

In the African continent, Mozambique appears as an example of the multiplicity and complexity of the involvement of the BRICS, and based on this assumption, the paper intends to capture the implications of this relationship for the BRICS, for Mozambique and for the African continent in general.

Paper long abstract:

Since the end of its civil war, Mozambique has had a complex development assistance landscape, with a large number of agencies and other organizations implementing projects. Over the past five years, one of the most visible changes in this organizational landscape has been the growing role of the BRICS as providers of South-South cooperation. There is some complementarity within these efforts: for instance, Brazil has large projects in agriculture and health; China has focused on large infrastructure; South Africa has boosted its economic cooperation ties; India has stepped up its cooperation in security and services; and finally Russia has signed agreements on a vast gamut of cooperation topics. Even though these BRICS actors operate within a field where other Southern and Northern donors, multilateral agencies, and private foundations are also active, these countries' ongoing efforts to coordinate positions within the BRICS grouping creates specific opportunities (and particular challenges) for bilateral South-South cooperation in Africa. This article treats Mozambique as a strategic research site to examine the growing overlaps among the BRICS' cooperation programs and related interests.