Wikipedia

List of rebel groups that control territory

This is a list of active rebel groups that control territory around the world whose domains may be subnational, transnational, or international. A "rebel group" is defined here as a polity that uses armed conflict in opposition to established government (or governments) for reasons such as to seek political change or to establish, maintain, or to gain independence. Groups that "control territory" are defined as any group that hold any populated or inhabited city, town, village, hamlet, or defined area that is under the direct administration or military control of the group. Such control may be contested and might be temporary or fluctuating, especially under the circumstance of conflict.

It does not include the governments of stable breakaway states or other states with limited recognition.


Within state Rebel group Conflict Control
since 		Territory controlled Notes Leader Headquarters
 Burkina Faso
 Mali
 Somalia
 Yemen 		Al-Qaeda Mali War
Somali Civil War
Yemeni Civil War 		2006 Burkina Faso Parts of Burkina Faso[1]
Mali Parts of central and northern Mali[2]
Somalia Large parts of southern and central Somalia[3]
Yemen Small parts of Abyan Governorate[4] 		TBD Tinzaouaten (Mali)[5]
Jilib (Somalia)[6]
 Nigeria Boko Haram Boko Haram insurgency 2009 Nigeria Small parts of Borno, Kaduna and Niger States[7] Relocated to Kaduna State after the Battle of Sambisa Forest Abu Umaimata Chikun[8][9]
 Mali
 Mozambique
 Nigeria
 Somalia 		Islamic State Islamic State Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
Mali War
Boko Haram insurgency
Somali Civil War 		2015 Nigeria Large parts of Borno State[10][11][12]
Somalia Several villages in the Bari region[13]
Mali Several villages in the Gao region[14]
Mozambique Parts of Cabo Delgado Province[15] 		Designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations[16] Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi Unknown
 Nigeria Republic of Biafra Indigenous People of Biafra Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria 2021 Parts of the Former Republic of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu Unknown
 Cameroon Republic of Biafra Biafra Nations League Bakassi Conflict 2021 Bakassi Peninsula Princewill Chimezie Richards, Henry Edet Bakassi Peninsula
 Cameroon Ambazonia Red Dragon Anglophone Crisis 2019 Several villages in Lebialem department of Southwest Province in Cameroon[17] The Red Dragon militia controlling parts of Lebialem is loyal to the Interim Government of Ambazonia Lekeaka Oliver Unknown
 Central African Republic Coalition of Patriots for Change[18][19] Central African Republic Civil War 2020 Parts of Central African Republic[18] Coalition of multiple groups including Anti-balaka,[18] 3R, and MPC[19] François Bozizé[18][19] N'Djamena, Chad[20]
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Mai-Mai Kivu conflict 2003 Parts of northeastern DRC[21] Various groups Various leaders Depending on group
March 23 Movement 2012 Parts of North Kivu province[22] Bertrand Bisimwa
Nduma Defense of Congo-Renouveau 2015 Parts of North Kivu province[23] Shimiray Mwissa Guidon Pinga
 Mali  Azawad Mali War 2012 Parts of northern Mali[24] Bilal Ag Acherif Kidal[25]
 Ethiopia Fano War in Amhara 2023 Parts of the Amhara Region[26] Zemene Kassie
 Myanmar Kachin Independence Army Internal conflict in Myanmar 2011 Parts of Kachin State[27] Military wing of Kachin Independence Organisation N'Ban La Laiza
People's Defence Force 2021 Areas across Myanmar.[28] Created as opposition to military junta Duwa Lashi La Multiple local headquarters
MNDAA 2021 Kokang region. Pheung Kya-shin
KNDF 2021 Kayah State Khun Bedu
Chinland 2021 Parts of Chin State[29] Falam
Karen National Liberation Army 1966 Parts of Kayin State[30][31] Military wing of Karen National Union Saw Mutu Say Poe Lay Wah
 Senegal Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance Casamance conflict 1982 Parts of Casamance region in Senegal.[32]
 Sudan Sudan Revolutionary Front Sudan–SRF conflict 2011 Parts of South Kordofan state and Blue Nile state[33] Abdelaziz al-Hilu Kauda[34]
 Syria Tahrir al-Sham Syrian civil war 2017 Part of Idlib Governorate in northwest Syria[35] Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government Abu Mohammad al-Julani Idlib[35]
Syrian opposition Maghaweir al-Thowra 2016 Small pocket in the Syrian Desert adjacent to the Jordanian border and the Iraqi border[36][37] Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government and aligned with the United States Al-Tanf[37]
 Rojava 2012 Territories in the north and east of Syria, mostly over the Euphrates River Faction within the Syrian civil war semi-allied to the Syrian government, allied to the United States, and opposed by Turkey Îlham Ehmed, Mansur Selum Qamishli
Syrian opposition Syrian National Army 2017 Border areas of Northern Syria[38] Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government and aligned with Turkey Anas al-Abdah Azaz[39]
 Yemen Southern Movement Yemeni Civil War 2017 Some of the territory in South Yemen[40][41][42] Organized in response to various grievances of southern Yemenis. It maintains a tenuous peace with the Yemeni government. Aidarus al-Zoubaidi Aden
Houthi movement Houthi movement 2004 Most of former North Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, and parts of South Yemen[43] The Houthis control the Supreme Political Council,[44] which is unrecognized by the international community Mahdi al-Mashat Sa'dah

See also

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References

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  1. ^ State controls just 60 percent of Burkina Faso: ECOWAS mediator, 18 June 2022
  2. ^ "Speaking with the "Bad Guys": Toward Dialogue with Central Mali's Jihadists" (PDF). 28 May 2019. While the Malian army controls towns and their immediate vicinity, the jihadists rule the countryside, erecting checkpoints on rural roads and patrolling rivers
  3. ^ Osman, Jamal (15 June 2022). "Inside Al Shabaab". Channel4. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  4. ^ Hussien, Shurki. "Yemen separatists seize al-Qaeda stronghold in Abyan".
  5. ^ Pellerin, Mathieu (November 2019). "Armed violence in the Sahara" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Somalia: Al-Shabaab Leaders Split Over Funds Control". AllAfrica. 27 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province" (PDF).
  8. ^ "DSS: Boko Haram relocating from Sambisa forest to Kaduna". 15 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Leaked DSS memo shows fleeing Boko Haram terrorists are moving to Kaduna". 15 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Economics of terrorism in Lake Chad Basin". 10 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Several killed in fight between Boko Haram, ISWAP members". 20 January 2020.
  12. ^ Haruna, Abdulkareem (30 June 2022). "ISWAP Still Controls Vast Areas of Guzamala In Northeast". HumAngle.
  13. ^ "Letter dated 1 November 2019 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia addressed to the President of the Security Council" (PDF). 1 November 2019. p. 84.
  14. ^ Mémier, Marc (January 2017). AQMI et Al-Mourabitoun : le djihad sahélien réunifié? (PDF) (in French). Institut français des relations internationales. p. 54. ISBN 978-2-36567-661-8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2019. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  15. ^ "Winning Peace in Mozambique's Embattled North". 10 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends Entry". United Nations. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  17. ^ "Cameroun/Sécurité au NoSo : l'étau se resserre autour de Field Marshall". ActuCameroun.com. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  18. ^ a b c d "CAR says ex-president attempting 'coup' as rebels form coalition". 19 December 2020.
  19. ^ a b c "François Bozizé: CAR accuses former president of 'attempted coup'". BBC.co.uk/News. BBC. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  20. ^ François Bozizé et d'autres chefs rebelles centrafricains se trouvent à Ndjamena, 7 November 2021
  21. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  22. ^ Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro; Justin Kabumba (13 June 2022). "Congo military accuses Rwanda of invasion; rebels seize town". Washington Post. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  23. ^ "NDC-R: Congo's Contract Militia Which "Killed" FDLR's Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura". 15 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Mali government seeks to assert control over restive north, to send troops to Kidal". 7 February 2020.
  25. ^ "A Tuareg soldier guards the Azawad Movement's headquarters in Kidal, northern Mali". Yahoo News. 5 June 2015.
  26. ^ "Ethiopia's Ominous New War in Amhara".
  27. ^ "Burma attack breaks Kachin truce near China border". BBC. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2014. The rebels are seeking greater autonomy within Burma for ethnic Kachins who have had de facto control over a part of northern Burma for more than 50 years.
  28. ^ Myanmar's civilian president claims resistance controls nearly half the country, 10 May 2022
  29. ^ "Resistance to the Myanmar regime in Chin state – a photo essay". The Guardian. 24 January 2022.
  30. ^ "Six die in Myanmar Air Strikes on Karen Villages Near the Thai Border". Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  31. ^ "Myanmar army launches air strikes in Karen state, group says". Reuters. 27 March 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  32. ^ WESTWOOD: DEALING IN CONFLICT TIMBER, March 2020
  33. ^ "Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF)" (PDF). Human Security Baseline Assessment (HSBA) for Sudan and South Sudan. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2014. Corresponding to the SPLM-N's dominant role, the SRF's locus of control resides in its bastion in Kaoda, and the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan. Military activity is most prevalent in South Kordofan but extends to Blue Nile and into South Sudan's border states.
  34. ^ Sudan’s PM visits rebel stronghold on peace mission
  35. ^ a b Ali, Zulfiqar (18 February 2020). "Syria: Who's in control of Idlib?". BBC.co.uk/News. BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  36. ^ Seligman, Lara (2 July 2019). "Fears Rise of an ISIS Comeback". ForeignPolicy.com. Graham Holdings. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  37. ^ a b Snow, Shawn (16 February 2020). "Iran-backed group launches attack near small garrison in Syria housing American special operators". MilitaryTimes.com. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  38. ^ Tsurkov, Elizabeth (27 November 2019). "Who Are Turkey's Proxy Fighters in Syria?". NYBooks.com. The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  39. ^ Lister, Charles (31 October 2017). "Turkey's Idlib incursion and the HTS question: Understanding the long game in Syria". WarOnTheRocks.com. War on the Rocks. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  40. ^ The New Arab (16 May 2017). "GCC: Aden-based Southern Transitional Council 'doomed to fail'". alaraby.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  41. ^ The New Arab (11 May 2017). "Banished Aden governor forms independent "South Yemen" council". alaraby.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  42. ^ Saudi Research & Marketing (uk) Ltd. "Thirty Southern Figures Reject Transitional Council in Aden – ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  43. ^ Al-Haj, Ahmed (2 June 2015). "Houthi Rebels Take Over Yemen's Government". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  44. ^ "Yemen rebels form rival government". Qantara.de. Deutsche Welle. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
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