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Syria Civil War Map: August 2013 (#11)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Syria updates.

Syria’s civil war has continued to rage through the summer, with small changes in territorial control and the area of fighting. Here’s the updated conflict map, plus a summary of recent territorial changes and other developments.

Map of fighting and territorial control in Syria's Civil War (Free Syrian Army rebels, Kurdish groups, Al-Nusra Front and others), updated for August 2013. Includes recent locations of conflict and territorial control changes, including Salma (Latakia), Nawa (Daraa), and Ras al-Ayn (Hasakah).
Area of fighting and territorial control in Syria’s civil war, updated for August 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

Latest Fronts
Over the last two months since our previous Syria war map, fighting increased in three different corners of the country. In the northwest, rebels pushed farther into the coastal province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad and his native Alawite ethnic group. The rebel forces captured and briefly held several Alawite villages in the mountains before being pushed back to their base in Salma.

Meanwhile, fighting has heated up in the already contested Daraa province of southwestern Syria. Most notably, the rebels stormed the major town of Nawa in July, before losing it to the Syrian army again this month. In the country’s opposite corner, the far northeastern province of Hasakah, Kurdish militias finally seized full control of Serekani (Arabic name: Ras al-Ayn) from religious extremist rebels who had been fighting for the town since last year. Apparently in response, the extremists have pushed farther into Kurdish territory elsewhere in the province.

Flag of Syria under the current governmentCountry Name:  
• Syria (English)
• Sūriyya/Sūryā (Arabic)
Official Name:  
• Syrian Arab Republic (English)
• al-Jumhūriyyah al-‘Arabīyah  as-Sūriyyah (Arabic)
Capital: Damascus

Fighting in Major Cities
Syria’s three largest cities have remained battlefields over the past months, with number-one metropolis Aleppo still bitterly divided between the government, the rebels, and Kurdish groups. The Syrian army has made further inroads into Homs, and now controls most but not all of the key central city.

While central Damascus remains mostly out of reach for the rebels, fierce battles have continued to be waged over the capital city’s many suburbs (see a map of rebel and government control in the city from two weeks ago).

Broad Trends
An expert quoted in a New York Times article last month estimated that Syria’s rebel groups now control 60-70% of the country’s land, but only 40% of the population, due to their greater success at controlling rural areas than holding major cities.

Meanwhile, the opposition remains as disorganized as ever, having proved unable to form a national-level interim government for the rebel-held areas. But the starkest sign of disunity between the various anti-Assad groups has been the breakout of major fighting between the secular-minded Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels and the religious extremists of the Nusra Front and the ISIS (“Islamic State of Iraq and Syria”). The latter groups have emerged as the strongest rebel force in many areas of Syria, driving the FSA out of Raqqah city as part of their rise in power across the country’s north and east.

Small Adjustments
This edition of the map returns to showing Ariha, a major town in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib whose status had been unclear for many months. Recent reports indicate that it is divided between rebel and government control. In central Syria, the war has now reached the previously peaceful city of Salamiya, which was shelled by rebel forces two weeks ago.

Similar Articles:
Syria Civil War Map: June 2013 (#10)
Mali Conflict Map: National Territory Reunited
War in Somalia: Map of Al Shabaab Control

Graphic of the Syrian flag is in the public domain (source).

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Mali Conflict Map: National Territory Reunited Ahead of Elections (July 2013)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Mali maps. 

This is an update within our Mali conflict map series – for the original story, see Mali Map: Islamist Control & French Intervention. 

Updated map of fighting and territorial control in Mali during the 2013 French and African intervention against Islamist rebel groups MUJAO, Ansar Dine, and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Reflects the situation as of July 27, 2013, including the Kidal region claimed by the Tuareg rebels of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).
Updated map of situation in Mali ahead of elections on July 28, 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

Army Returns to Kidal
As shown on the previous edition of our Mali war map, January’s French intervention against religious extremists returned most of the country to government control, but left the northeastern province of Kidal in the hands of the Tuareg-dominated rebels of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). The MNLA had insisted that the Malian army not be allowed into Kidal, citing the army’s alleged abuses against Tuareg and Arab people, leading France to seek negotiations between the MNLA and Mali’s central government.

The Malian government likewise insisted that it be allowed into Kidal prior to national elections on July 28th, and the army at one point appeared poised to fight its way in by force, capturing the provincial border town of Anefis in early June. However, after two more weeks, the government and the MNLA signed a formal deal, agreeing to put off questions of autonomy for the north until after the elections. Under the agreement, Mali’s army was allowed to peacefully enter Kidal, and MNLA soldiers returned to their camps.

Flag of MaliCountry Name:  
• Mali (English, French, Bambara)
Official Name:  
• Republic of Mali (English)
• République du Mali (French) 
• Mali ka Fasojamana (Bambara)
Capital: Bamako

U.N. Peacekeeping Mission Begins
A new U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, called MINUSMA, officially began on July 1st. The mission replaces the international African force already in the country, a coalition of West African neighbor countries plus Chad, under U.N. command. In addition to the U.N. peacekeepers, there are also still 3,200 French troops remaining in Mali.

What About the Islamist Rebels?
Religious extremist rebel groups Ansar Dine and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), which last year controlled all of northern Mali, have mostly gone into hiding since the French intervention – Ansar Dine in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains of Kidal, and MUJAO in the area of Gao and nearby stretches of the Niger River. Al Qaeda’s local branch, AQIM, is also present.

Our last Mali war map showed continuing battles against the rebels even in the north’s major cities, but since May the fighting has mostly come to an end, with the militants avoiding rather than confronting the French army’s ongoing expeditions into the desert. The only major fighting reported since our last update was a clash between MUJAO rebels and the MNLA in Anefis, prior to the town being taken by the Malian army.

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Nigeria War Map: Boko Haram Loses Territory

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Nigeria Map Update: War on Boko Haram Continues After Decline in Rebel Control

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Nigeria updates.

Two months ago, Political Geography Now published a map of Boko Haram rebel control in Nigeria as the government declared a state of emergency and began a large-scale military intervention. We now present an updated map of the continued fighting and attacks following the rebels’ apparent loss of any significant territorial control.

Map of battles, government raids, and rebel attacks in Nigeria's war with Boko Haram and declared state of emergency. Updated for July 2013.
Map of fighting and attacks in Nigeria’s war against the rebels of Boko Haram. Map by Evan Centanni.

Boko Haram Loses Territorial Control
As shown in our first map of the Boko Haram rebellion in Nigeria, a few months ago the rebels reportedly had actual territorial control of several areas of the country’s northeast. Details of events related to Nigeria’s military crackdown are sometimes fuzzy due to communications blackouts and lack of press access; but according to government reports, Boko Haram’s bases have been decimated by the ongoing intervention, and the region has generally fallen back under government control.

Boko Haram is a decade-old rebel movement which seeks to banish all Western education and influence in favor of strict Islamic law for Nigeria’s north.

Flag of NigeriaCountry Name:  
• Nigeria*
Official Name:  
• Federal Republic of Nigeria*
Capital: Abuja
*There are hundreds of languages spoken in Nigeria, but only English is official.

Continued Fighting
Though the rebels have reportedly been mostly driven from their bases, they have not given up or fled Nigeria entirely. Compared to a few months ago, violence seems to have abated along the former shores of Lake Chad in favor of moving into the region’s hills and urban centers.

Nigerian government forces have launched raids targeting Boko Haram guerrillas in the Sambisa forest and Gwoza Hills of southeastern Borno State, Mallam Futori near the northern border, and locations such as Ngamdu and Fune in the neighboring state of Yobe. There have also been multiple major battles in the Borno State capital city of Maiduguri. Adamawa, the third Nigerian state in which the state of emergency was declared, has been relatively quiet.

Boko Haram Attacks
Meanwhile, the Boko Haram rebels have been defying the Nigerian army by continuing to launch bloody attacks on civilian targets in Borno and Yobe. Most infamous are two recent massacres at high schools in Mamudo and the Yobe state capital of Damataru, which the rebels say are a necessary part of their struggle against Western education. They have also sacked villages in the Gwoza Hills, as well as the nearby towns of Gwoza and Bama. Nigerian government forces have also been accused of serious human rights abuses.

The government of Nigeria claimed last week that a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram was under negotiation, but the head of the rebel group, Abubakar Shekau, later denied this.

Related Articles:

Graphic of the Nigerian flag is in the public domain (source).

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Syria Civil War Map: June 2013 (#10)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Syria updates.

Since March, large-scale violence has continued in Syria. Despite this, no major cities have changed hands – yet there have been important changes to control of smaller towns in two different regions. Here’s the updated conflict map, plus a summary of recent territorial changes.

Map of rebel activity and control in Syria's Civil War (Free Syrian Army, Kurdish groups, Al-Nusra Front and others), updated for June 2013. Includes recent locations of conflict and violence, including the Qusayr, Golan Heights, Daraa, Dael, and Baida.
Activity and cities held by rebels and other groups in Syria, updated for June 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

Golan Heights Fighting
Soon after our last update, rebel groups continued making small gains in Syria’s far southeast. In mid-March, they captured a military intelligence compound in the town of Shagara, and three days later the same group seized the town of Khan Arnabeh a bit to the north. Both towns lie close to the Golan Heights, a disputed territory controlled by Israel.

A narrow strip of land on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights ceasefire line has been demilitarized under the protection of U.N. peacekeepers since 1973, but even this area has seen fighting since late last year. Rebels in the zone briefly took control of the border crossing with Israel early this month, part of a series of events that has put the peacekeeping mission’s future in jeopardy.

Rebel Gains in Daraa
Soon after taking Khan Arnabeh, the same rebel group achieved yet another major victory: the capture of a major air defense base just east of the southern Syrian city of Daraa. Soon they and other rebel groups had effective control of all border crossings with Jordan.

By the end of the month, rebel forces were also in control of Dael, an important town north of Daraa city. It was only in May that the Syrian army began getting its foothold back outside of Daraa, seizing the town of Khirbet Gazaleh near Dael.

Flag of Syria under the current governmentCountry Name:  
• Syria (English)
• Sūriyya/Sūryā (Arabic)
Official Name:  
• Syrian Arab Republic (English)
• al-Jumhūriyyah al-‘Arabīyah  as-Sūriyyah (Arabic)
Capital: Damascus

Government Takes Qusayr
The more important change in control came early this month, when the Syrian government and allied forces captured Qusayr after a long and difficult battle. Qusayr is a strategic town between the city of Homs and the border with Lebanon, and saw prolonged fighting earlier in the war before coming under rebel control a year ago. Since Qusayr’s recapture, other nearby towns have also been seized by the government.

Hezbollah and Lebanon
In the battle for Qusayr, Syria’s army received major military support from Hezbollah, a Shiite militia from Lebanon which has long supported President Bashar al-Assad. After that victory, Hezbollah has become more overtly involved in the fighting within Syria. Meanwhile, Lebanon is being slowly dragged into its neighbor’s civil war, with one Lebanese town even coming under attack from the Syrian military two weeks ago.

Battles Continue in Major Cities
Syria’s biggest population centers continue to be centers of intense fighting as well, with Aleppo still divided between multiple groups (see a collaborative map of control) and once-rebel-dominated Homs now reportedly 80% government-controlled. At the same time, the capital city of Damascus continues to see heavy back and forth fighting in its suburbs, and in recent months rebels have even begun moving into the city itself.

Activity on the Coast
Last month, the town of Bayda near Syria’s Mediterranean coast became infamous for a brutal massacre committed by government or allied forces against Sunni civilians, some of whom had been rebel sympathizers (rebels were also accused of a sectarian massacre in a few weeks later). The Bayda massacre was reportedly a response to an attack by local rebels on a bus carrying pro-government militiamen, a rare and possibly unprecedented instance of armed rebel activity Syria’s coastal region. This area, which is the traditional homeland of President Assad’s minority Alawite sect, has been so far spared from rebel-on-army fighting, though it has been the scene of unarmed protests violently suppressed by the government.

Adjustments to the Map
Two adjustments have been made to the Syria control map in this update which do not necessarily reflect actual changes to the situation since last time. First, the city of Hama has been colored all black rather than black and red, to reflect the fact that there has recently been little evidence of significant rebel control within the city (however, back-and-forth fighting continues outside the city in Hama province).

The second adjustment is to Zabadani, in the mountains between Damascus and the border with Lebanon. This town has been contested since early in the war, sometimes falling under rebel control and other times to the government. The most recent information suggests that rebels have nearly complete control of the town itself, despite being surrounded by government forces.

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Graphic of the Syrian flag is in the public domain (source).

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War in Somalia: Map of Al Shabaab Control (June 2013)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Somalia articles on PolGeoNow.

Since the beginning of the year, Somalia’s federal government and its allies have made some major breakthroughs in the war to take back the country from Al Shabaab, Somalia’s local branch of Al Qaeda. This is the third installment in our series of Al Shabaab control maps, marking territorial changes since our last Somalia map update in December 2012.

Map of Al Shabaab control in southern Somalia just before June 2013, highlighting recent advances by government and African Union troops since December. Includes the newly recaptured Mogadishu-Baidoa highway corridor, plus Bulo Marer, site of crashed U.S. drone aircraft. Also marks claimed territory of Jubaland state.
Southern Somalia: recent government-allied advances in the war against Al Shabaab. Original map by Evan Centanni. Incorporates elements from this blank map by Eric Gaba and this locator map by TheEmirr. (license: CC BY-SA).

Connecting Mogadishu and Baidoa
After news came in of the Somali Federal Government and its allies completing their control of southern Somalia’s major cities last fall, further progress against the Al Qaeda affiliate group Al Shabaab at first made only slow progress. But since the beginning of this year, at least one major breakthrough has been made.

Background & Actor Profiles: War in Somalia – The Retreat of Al Shabaab 

After several years of being cut off by Al Shabaab, Mogadishu and the key inland city of Baidoa were finally reconnected in February after African Union and Somali forces captured Burhakaba, the last major town lying on the highway between the two cities. As a result, the Al Shabaab’s territory in Somalia has been split into two pieces, though security is probably not so tight that the militants can’t slip back and forth across the narrow band held by the Somali government.

Flag of SomaliaCountry Name:  
• Somalia (English)
• Soomaaliya (Somali)
• aṣ-Ṣūmāl (Arabic)
Official Name:  
• Federal Republic of Somalia (English)
• Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)
• Jumhūriyyat aṣ-Ṣūmāl al-Fideraaliya (Arabic) 
Capital: Mogadishu

Ethiopian and Somali troops had previously taken the town of Dinsoor, another major town in the region of Baidoa, in mid-December (just after our previous Somalia map update). And fighting in the area continued after the captured of Burhakaba as well, with the Baidoa suburb of Aw Diinle falling to Al Shabaab in March. Although it was reported recaptured soon afterwards, Al Shabaab forces were apparently still present until just a couple weeks ago.

Ethiopian Withdrawal
The town of Hudur north of Baidoa was recaptured by Al Shabaab in March after Ethiopian forces withdrew from the town. Ethiopia soon reported that it would be withdrawing completely from the war in Somalia in the near future.

This is important news, since the Ethiopians have been the major force in the war against Al Shabaab near the Ethiopia-Somalia border for the past year and a half. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has slowly rolled into position to fill the gap, but Ethiopia has still not yet completely withdrawn.

Meanwhile, Somalia’s own army reportedly scored a victory with the capture of Tiyeglow town east of Hudur in May. Hudur itself, however, is apparently still Al Shabaab territory, despite early reports suggesting it was recaptured by Somali forces.

Somalia’s Airspace
The federal government of Somalia announced recently that the country’s airspace will be returning to its control after nearly two decades of U.N. stewardship. However, the northern Somali breakaway state of Somaliland (not shown on this map) has reacted with anger, announcing the seizure of its own airspace from the U.N. in order to preempt the takeover by Mogadishu.

And in other news related to air power, the Somali government and AMISOM last February seized a strategic airfield north of the town of Jowhar, which will help the allies project their power as they push the war ever deeper into Al Shabaab’s remaining territory. The U.S. also has a covert presence in Somalia’s skies and one of its drone aircraft is believed to have crashed this week over the Al Shabaab base of Bulo Marer, not far from the port city of Marka.

Political Struggle for Jubaland
After the capture of Kismayo port by Kenyan forces last September, a political power struggle has emerged in the city. Local groups, backed by Kenya and other neighboring countries, have declared an autonomous area called Jubaland, which claims three of the surrounding administrative regions as a federal state of Somalia.

The central government in Mogadishu, which did not approve the plan, has vigorously opposed Jubaland’s formation, but political conflict and confusion continues in Kismayo, where the leader of the Ras Kamboni militia is now claiming to be the state’s elected president.

Stay Up-to-Date: See past and future updates to this map by filtering for posts about Al Shabaab, or view all Somalia articles.

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Graphic of Somali flag is in the public domain (source).

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Nigeria Conflict Map: Assault on Boko Haram

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Nigeria updates.

Nigeria’s Boko Haram rebels have been active for some years, but it’s only in recent months that they’ve become known to control territory in the country’s far northeast. Now they’re facing a full-on assault from the government after the president declared a state of emergency. Read on for details!

Map of Boko Haram control in northeastern Nigeria, and progress made by the government after declaring a state of emergency and launching a military campaign against the rebels in May 2013.
Boko Haram control and the government intervention in Nigeria’s northeast. Map by Evan Centanni.

Boko Haram Control in Borno State
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has faced regular attacks from the rebels of Boko Haram over the past several years. Operating in the country’s predominantly Muslim north, the fighters claim to seek a purer Islamic society uninfluenced by Western ideas and teaching. While the group’s area of operations stretches across much of northern Nigeria, spilling over into northern Cameroon, until recently Boko Haram was not known for controlling any specific territory.

However, over the past few months there has been more and more talk of areas in Nigeria’s far northeastern Borno State falling under full control of Boko Haram, especially in the area of Lake Chad and the remote border with Cameroon. A report from the U.N.’s IRIN humanitarian news agency lists eight local government areas (similar to counties) in Borno which it says Boko Haram has taken over since January of this year.

Background: What is Boko Haram? A summary and detailed history

Flag of NigeriaCountry Name:  
• Nigeria*
Official Name:  
• Federal Republic of Nigeria*
Capital: Abuja
*There are hundreds of languages spoken in Nigeria, but only English is official.

State of Emergency
Last week, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan brought the situation to the world’s attention, announcing that the Boko Haram rebels had wrested control of some areas on the country, and declaring a state of emergency in Nigeria’s three northeasternmost states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. The next day, troops flooded into the region, and a government offensive against the rebels began.

Though details are sparse, fighting since then seems to have focused largely on raiding Boko Haram camps in the central and southern areas of Borno state, leaving the other two states, as well as Borno’s capital, relatively calm. Political Geography Now has not discovered any reports of fighting so far along Borno’s northern border with Niger, despite that being an area claimed by IRIN to be under Boko Haram control.

There have been airstrikes against Boko Haram at various locations which have not been disclosed, though one is reported to be the Sambisa Game Reserve south of Maiduguri, part of a stretch of forest where the rebels are known to have hideouts for avoiding the Nigerian army. By May 17th, government forces had reportedly secured a border crossing with Cameroon at Gambaru Ngala, and this Monday the Nigerian government claimed to have recaptured the towns of New Marte, Hausari, Kirenowa, Wulgo, and Chikun Ngulalo from Boko Haram.*

(*Chikun Ngulalo is not shown on the map above, as we have been unable to locate its position.)

Stay tuned for more updates as new information becomes available. Keep up by checking Political Geography Now homepage, or use the Nigeria filter to view only stories about this country.

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Graphic of the Nigerian flag is in the public domain (source).

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Mali Conflict Map: Hardline Rebels on the Run, Separatists Rebounding (May 2013)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Mali maps.  

This is an update within our Mali conflict map series – for the original story, see Mali Map: Islamist Control & French Intervention.

Updated map of fighting and territorial control in Mali during the 2013 French and African intervention against Islamist rebel groups MUJAO, Ansar Dine, and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Reflects the situation as of May 4, 2013, including areas occupied by Tuareg rebels of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).
Updated map of territorial control and fighting in Mali, as of May 4, 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

Towns Cleared of Islamist Rebels
Since our last Mali update in February, the country’s religious extremist rebel groups have continued their retreat from the northern cities that they controlled for half a year. The military intervention by France and Mali’s neighbors has somewhat reunited the country, though with some important exceptions.

In Mali’s far northeast, French and Chadian forces have driven Ansar Dine and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) out of the important towns of Aguelhok and Tessalit, afterwards seeing heavy combat in the nearby mountains of the Adrar des Ifoghas, where Chad claims to have killed two key regional Al Qaeda leaders. Though many rebels are said to have fled the country, some are still holed up deep in the mountains, and have launched terrorist attacks on the regional capital of Kidal.

More information: Regular situation reports from the French army (in French)

Northern Mali’s biggest city, Gao, was secured by French forces early in the intervention, and is now patrolled by troops from Mali and other African countries. However, the Al Qaeda-offshoot rebels of the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), who ruled the city for months, have continued their resistance, initiating two major battles in Gao during February, and another in March. Timbuktu has faced similar attacks, which have been variously attributed to either MUJAO or AQIM.

Flag of MaliCountry Name:  
• Mali (English, French, Bambara)
Official Name:  
• Republic of Mali (English)
• République du Mali (French) 
• Mali ka Fasojamana (Bambara)
Capital: Bamako

MUJAO fighters are now based in the villages and countryside surrounding Gao, especially just across the River Niger and in the valleys to the northeast, where French soldiers have been involved in lethal confrontations with the militants. The stretch of the River Niger between Gao and Timbuktu has also seen MUJAO activity, but at least one major town along the route, Bourem, has been secured by the allied forces.

Photos: Mali Conflict Enters New Phase (The Atlantic)

Kidal, Azawad, and the MNLA
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), a secular rebel organization made up mostly of people from the Tuareg ethnic group, has sprung back to life in Mali’s far northeast. It now occupies most of the Kidal region, including the capital and key towns, cooperating with the French and Chadian armies but forbidding Malian troops from entering.

The group, which initiated the rebellion in northern Mali last year – declaring an independent country called “Azawad” before being pushed out by Ansar Dine and MUJAO – now seeks again to negotiate with the Malian government. It has ceased its explicit calls for independence, even saying it “recognizes the borders” of Mali, though it has since begun issuing official “Republic of Azawad” documents to drivers passing through Mali’s far northeast.

This second rise of the MNLA was made possible by concerns that Malian soldiers were abusing, and in some cases murdering, Tuareg civilians in the cities they had retaken. Kidal, unlike Gao and Timbuktu, actually has a Tuareg majority, and the MNLA is relatively popular there. After the extremist Ansar Dine rebels fled from Kidal ahead of the French advance, the MNLA welcomed the foreign troops, cooperating with the soldiers from France and Chad. The Malian army, apparently sensing it’s not welcome, has mostly not entered the region.

The MNLA now operates a checkpoint in Anefis, on the border of Kidal and Gao regions, and has defended itself against other rebel groups in the surrounding desert as well as in the town of In Khalil on the border of Mali and Algeria. In February, the MNLA also claimed control of Menaka in Gao region, but the town is now known to be under the control of African troops from neighboring Niger.

Northern Mali: Looking Forward
The future is not at all certain for Mali’s north, with Islamist militants still active and the MNLA calling for greater autonomy against the wishes of the Malian government. Deepening the uncertainty, France and Chad, by far the two strongest armies currently in Mali, are both beginning to withdraw their forces, not wanting to become stuck in an ongoing guerrilla war. However, there’s still hope for Mali not to descend back into chaos; the U.N. security council has authorized a peacekeeping mission to take over starting from July, which will work under the name Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

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Central African Republic: Map of Rebel Advance to Capital

Graphic of Malian flag is in the public domain (source).

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Central African Republic: Map of Rebel Advance to Capital (March 2013)

Last January, rebels in the Central African Republic agreed to a ceasefire with the government, after taking over much of the country. Now, despite the formation of a unity government, the ceasefire has broken down and the rebels are once again advancing on the capital and other towns. Read on for a summary of events. Update (March 24, 2013): The Séléka rebel coalition has now taken the national capital, Bangui.

Map of 2012-2013 rebellion in the Central African Republic, showing current rebel control as of March 24, 2013, from the breakdown of the ceasefire up to the capture of the national capital city, Bangui
Advance of Séléka rebels in the Central African Republic, highlighting attacks occurring since the Jan. 11 ceasefire. Map fact-checked and expanded by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Keitsist. License: CC BY-SA

Original Article: Central African Republic – Map of Rebel Control

Ceasefire Violations
After reaching a ceasefire with the government on January 11th, the Central African Republic’s Séléka rebel coalition began integration into a new unity government, with several rebel leaders receiving prominent positions in President François Bozizé’s cabinet. However, the violence did not end completely.

Bands of rebels attacked the southern towns of Dimbi and Kémbé less than two weeks after the ceasefire, and occupied the southern city of Mobaye for two weeks in February before finally withdrawing on the 20th. Another group attacked and took over the northern town of Sido on March 1st. By March 12th, the rebels in the south advanced once again to seize regional capital Bangassou.

Flag of the Central African RepublicCountry Name:  
• Central African Republic (English)
• Centrafrique (French)
• Bêafrîka (Sango)
Official Name:  
• Central African Republic (English)
• République centrafricaine (French)
•Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka (Sango)
Capital: Bangui

Ceasefire Breakdown
On March 18th, it was reported that the Séléka rebels had “detained” their five ministers from the Central African Republic unity government, and issued a 72-hour deadline for their demands to be met. Sure enough, on March 20th a rebel spokesperson announced that the ceasefire had come to an end.

In the northwest, rebels claimed to capture Bouca and Batangafo soon afterwards (the latter had already been reported taken once in December). In the south, they continued onward toward the capital city of Bangui, seizing the town of Damara despite the presence of a multinational African peacekeeping force, which did not fire a shot. Meanwhile, they had captured yet another regional capital, Bossangoa, in the northwest.

Capital Seized by Rebels (update)
Today, March 24th, the Séléka coalition rebels reportedly took control of the national capital, Bangui, with President Bozizé fleeing across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It still remains unclear what will happen next. Stay tuned to Political Geography Now for further updates!

Graphic of the flag of the Central African Republic is in the public domain (source).

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Syria Uprising Map: March 2013 (#9)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Syria updates.

Syria’s civil war has continued to spread eastward across the country, with rebels taking two major towns over the last month. Below is the updated conflict map, plus a summary of recent territorial changes.

Map of rebel activity and control in Syria's Civil War (Free Syrian Army, Kurdish groups, Al-Nusra Front and others), updated for March 2013. Includes recent locations of conflict, including Raqqa, Al-Safira, Al-Hasakah, and Tabqa Dam.
Activity and cities held by rebels and other groups in Syria, updated for March 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

Eastward to Raqqah
Since our last Syria map update, rebel forces have continued to move southeast from Aleppo (where fighting still rages), last month taking over the Tabqa hydroelectric dam. It was soon reported that they controlled the neighboring town of Thawrah as well. (“Tabqa” and “Thawrah” are actually two names for the same place; the latter is a more recent official name which means “revolution” in Arabic).

This week, the rebels reached Raqqah, apparently seizing nearly the whole city and capturing the provincial governor. This gives them almost complete control of an entire province, and is the first time they have held a provincial capital since losing Idlib city a year ago. It also effectively connects the two fronts of the war, with rebels now mostly in control of a stretch running all the way from Aleppo in the northwest to Al Bukamal in the southeast.

Flag of Syria under the current governmentCountry Name:  
• Syria (English)
• Sūriyya/Sūryā (Arabic)
Official Name:  
• Syrian Arab Republic (English)
• al-Jumhūriyyah al-‘Arabīyah  as-Sūriyyah (Arabic)
Capital: Damascus

Rebel and Kurdish Groups in the Northeast
Even as rebel forces moved east from Aleppo, another group struck out northwest from the Deir ez-Zor area, taking over the town of Shadadeh in Al-Hasakah province. This northeasternmost province is a major oil-producing region, but further conquests may come up against resistance from Kurdish militias, whose people form a large percentage of the population.

Indeed, Kurdish groups have continued to consolidate their power in Syria’s far northeast, seizing the town of Ramilan this week, and reportedly occupying most of Al-Hasakah’s oil fields. The Kurdish militias are not officially aligned with either side in the war, usually claiming to oppose the government, but keeping a wary eye on the rebels at the same time.

Last weekend, another battle was going on quite close to Ramilan. In what became a small international incident, rebels fought government forces for control of the northeastern border crossing to Iraq. According to some reports, the rebels gained control of Yaarabiya, the town on the Syrian side of the border; the crossing is also known as Rabia, after the town on the Iraqi side.

Fighting in Syria’s West
Also last month, rebels moved into Al-Safira, a major town just outside of Aleppo. They were soon reported to control of the streets, though fighting was ongoing against government forces just outside the town. In December, just after our last map update, there was also a major campaign near Hama, in which rebels took control of various small towns and villages north of the city, but lost several of them again within a few weeks.

The Al-Nusra Front
It is worth mentioning that rebel victories in Syria’s civil war have increasingly been attributed not to the Free Syrian Army, but to its ally the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra). This militant group, known for a long list of bombings as well as battles, is made up of religious fundamentalists who envision an Islamic state to replace the current Syrian government. The Al-Nusra Front has played a leading role in Al-Safira and Shadadeh in particular, succeeding partly through the skills of well-trained foreign fighters from other Arab countries like Libya, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It is suspected of ties with Al Qaeda.

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Central African Republic: Map of Rebel Advance to Capital

Graphic of Syrian flag is in the public domain (source).

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Central African Republic Rebels Join Government (February 2013)

Map of rebel control in the Central African Republic, updated for the reported occupation of Dimbi and Kembe towns after the January 2013 ceasefire
Updated Central African Republic rebel control map. Fact-checked and modified by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Keitsist. License: CC BY-SA

Unity Government Announced
After taking control of much of the country in December and January, rebels in the Central African Republic have been given a place in a new unity government that was announced last Sunday. The formation of this government will officially end the country’s period of division between the old administration and the “Séléka” rebel coalition.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Central African Republic will truly be reunited in terms of the facts on the ground. Insecurity and chaos has continued at reduced levels since the ceasefire of January 11, with one band of rebels even attacking two more towns during the interim (see updated map at right).

For the full story of Séléka’s lighting-fast campaign to control the country, see our previous article Central African Republic: Map of Rebel Control.

Updated Map: Central African Republic – Map of Rebel Control (March 2013)