On 22 May, 2013 protests and street battles erupted in...Mtwara in response to the government’s handling of mineral resource wealth...[A] researcher...highlighted that it is necessary to engender genuine engagement with local populations when organising natural resource extraction. However...key powerbrokers in the process of natural resource extraction...[are] ignorant of the increasing sense of frustration at a lack of popular engagement...The region has witnessed levels of violence previously unseen in Mtwara...In overlooking the specific historical experiences of the Mtwara region, coupled with the contemporary political context and the lack of genuine engagement with people through broad-based consultation, the risk of such outcomes in the future remain. [refers to BG, Statoil, ExxonMobil, Ophir & Petrobras]