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Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA |
Sunday, October 25, 2020
African Union Un-Suspends Mali (Map)
African Union Lifts Suspension of Mali
Less than two months after the African Union (AU) suspended Mali from membership in the continental organization, it ended the suspension earlier this month. It had been suspended after a military faction overthrew the government, but the recent appointment of a civilian-led transitional government have led the AU to lift its suspension. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), from which Mali was also suspended in August, has lifted the economic sanctions that it posed on the member country. However, the suspension of Mali's voting rights in ECOWAS bodies, which was imposed at the same time, seems to still be in place.Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Somalia Control Map & Timeline - October 2020 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Somalia articles on PolGeoNow.
Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Somalia control map, which includes a timeline of territorial changes and key events since our previous Somalia map report of May 2020, with sources cited.
This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Somalia map!
Exclusive map report includes:
- Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Somalia, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including AMISOM peacekeepers), autonomous unionist forces, separatist Somaliland, Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab, and fighters aligned with the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL). Areas of mixed or unclear control indicated separately. Colorblind accessible.
- Boundaries and labels for Somalia's official regions and states, including the self-proclaimed independent Republic of Somaliland and federal states Puntland, Galmudug, Jubaland, South West, and Hirshabelle. Illustrates the claims of both sides in the Somaliland-Puntland border dispute, as well as actual control.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including many relevant smaller towns and villages.
- Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Kurtunwarey, Gendershe, Daynunay, Mubarak, Bulacle, and more.
- Detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political developments since May 20, 2020, with sources cited.
- Summary of the conflict situation and changes to the map over the past five months.
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Thursday, August 20, 2020
African Union Map Update: Mali & South Sudan Suspended, Sudan Reinstated
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Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA |
Mali Suspended from African Union
The African Union (AU) suspended Mali from membership in the continental organization yesterday, after army mutineers marched to country's capital and overthrew the president. Major protests had been calling for the president's resignation for months, but his removal by force has not gone over well with the international community. In addition to the AU, Mali has also been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an important group including most of Mali's neighboring countries.Monday, August 17, 2020
"Islamic State" in Mozambique? Control Map & Timeline of the Insurgency
There are newer editions of this map available. To see them, view all Mozambique articles on PolGeoNow.
This is the first edition of our new Mozambique control map series. To guarantee your access to future updates, sign up our conflict map subscription service (updates may be released for free if changes end up being very few or far between).
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Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Contact us for permission to use this map. Terrain data sourced from ViewFinderPanoramas.
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Article by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic
Northern Mozambique's Insurgency: What We Do and Don't Know
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Close-up version of the above map, with expanded timeline (subscriber exclusive; click for more info). |
At PolGeoNow, researcher Djordje Djukic has been keeping an eye on this conflict for some time, and we're now pleased to present what we believe to be the world's first map series documenting territorial control in the northern Mozambique insurgency.
Update: A much more detailed close-up version of the above map, adding insurgent raids and accompanied by an expanded timeline, is now available to our paid subscribers.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline: Tables Turned in Tripoli - June 2020 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of May 29, 2020.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including the Tripoli International Airport, Tarhuna, Bani Walid, Qurayyat, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since May 29, 2020, with links to sources.
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Friday, May 29, 2020
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline - May 2020
This is a free edition of our Libya control map series. If you want access to our full collection of Libya maps, you can sign up for our conflict map subscription service.
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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic.
Contact us for permission to use this map. |
(Subscribers click here to view this article in the member area)
Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni
Mapping Control in Libya as Proxy War Escalates
Since the time of our previous Libya control map report last month, the country's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) has continued to gain ground in the west amid a major withdrawal of the rival Libyan National Army (LNA). The GNA's gains have been achieved with extensive support from Turkey, in the form of thousands of Turkish-allied Syrian rebel fighters as well as many Turkish-provided drones, in what the UN has called "the largest drone war in the world". Meanwhile, the LNA now has its own allied Syrian fighting force, brought in to support Russian private military contractors (PMCs), who are widely claimed to have the full support of Russia's government.Wednesday, May 20, 2020
New & Improved: Somalia Control Map & Timeline - May 2020 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Somalia articles on PolGeoNow.
Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

This edition of the map includes a number of improvements, including the addition of state capitals, more regional boundaries, and territorial claims by Somaliland and Puntland. City and town sizes have also been reviewed and overhauled based on better data.
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Somalia control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Somalia map report of December 2019, with sources cited.
This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Somalia map!
Exclusive map report includes:
- Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Somalia, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including AMISOM peacekeepers), autonomous unionist forces, separatist Somaliland, Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab, and fighters aligned to the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). Areas of mixed or unclear control indicated separately. Colorblind accessible.
- Boundaries and labels for Somalia's official regions and states, including the autonomous administrations of Somaliland, Puntland, and Galmudug as well as the federally-supported Jubaland, South West, and Hirshabelle states.
- New: State capitals, more regional boundaries in north, and border claims in Puntland and Somaliland's border disputes.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including many relevant smaller towns and villages.
- New: City and town sizes newly reviewed and overhauled based on better data.
- Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Janale, Lego, Belet Hawo, Dhusamareb, and more.
- Detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political developments since December 31, 2019, with sources cited.
- New: Timeline includes major events in Somalia's battle with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, an important background for the political events happening in the country.
- Summary of the conflict situation and changes to the map over the past five and a half months.
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Thursday, April 23, 2020
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline: GNA Takes Sabratha - April 2020 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of January 26, 2020.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including Sabratha, Aziziyah, Al-Watiyah Airbase, Waw an Namus, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since January 26, 2020, with links to sources.
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Monday, January 27, 2020
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline: LNA Takes Sirte - January 2020 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of December 27, 2019.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including Sirte, Yarmouk Camp, Abu Grain, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 27, 2019, with links to sources.
SUBSCRIBERS CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO ARTICLE AND MAP
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Can I purchase just this map?
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Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Somalia Control Map & Timeline - December 2019 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Somalia articles on PolGeoNow.
Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

Since August, pro-federal forces have chipped away a bit at Al Shabaab's still-significant territory in Somalia, while disputes have raged between the federal government and the state administrations of Jubaland and Galmudug. Meanwhile, Al Shabaab claims to have captured a town in northern Somaliland.
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Somalia control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Somalia map report of August 2019, with sources cited.
This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Somalia map!
Exclusive map report includes:
- Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Somalia, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including AMISOM peacekeepers), autonomous unionist forces, separatist Somaliland, Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab, and fighters aligned to the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). Areas of lawlessness or unclear control indicated separately. Colorblind accessible.
- Boundaries and labels for Somalia's official regions and states, including the autonomous administrations of Somaliland, Puntland, and Galmudug as well as the federally-supported Jubaland, South West, and Hirshabelle states.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including many relevant smaller towns and villages.
- Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Bal'ad, Qayib, Amara, Ga'an Marodi, and more.
- Detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political developments since August 13, 2019, with sources cited.
- Brief summary of the conflict situation and changes to the map over the past four and a half months.
SUBSCRIBERS CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO ARTICLE AND MAP
Not signed up yet? Click here to learn more about our professional subscription service!
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline - December 2019 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of November 19, 2019.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including Yarmouk Camp, Tripoli International Airport, El Feel Oilfield, Tummo border crossing, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since November 19, 2019, with links to sources.
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Ethiopia's Sidama Zone Votes to Become Regional State
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Sidama Referendum Passes
Last week, we reported on a status referendum in southern Ethiopia, where the Sidama Zone was voting on whether to secede from the country's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR).Over the weekend, the Ethiopian government announced that the referendum had passed by a very large margin: According to preliminary results, an enormous 98.5% of voters chose increased self-rule. (Voter turnout was also reported to be extremely high, at 99.8%.)
Ethiopia's government has signaled that it plans to respect the result, making the Sidama Zone into the country's tenth self-governing "regional state". This comes despite warnings that Sidama's promotion will supercharge campaigns for statehood in other regions, which could lead to a cascade of mini-secessions that would shake up Ethiopia's administrative structure and politics.
But the Sidama Zone won't become a state immediately - there will likely be a long, contentious process, which requires an amendment to Ethiopia's constitution. One major issue is that the SNNPR's capital city, Hawassa, is located inside the Sidama Zone. If it's going to become the capital of the Sidama Region instead, then the SNNPR will have to find a new capital and move all its government institutions there.
Sidama will become the second-smallest of the Ethiopia's regional states, after the Harari People's National Regional State (the cities of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa aren't considered regional states, even though they stand separately from the other regions). Its promotion will also create a new state-level exclave - a part of a state that's not connected to the rest of the state - by cutting off the Gedeo Zone to its south from the rest of the SNNPR.
Want to know when these changes actually happen? You'll hear about it here on PolGeoNow!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Libya Civil War Map & Timeline - November 2019
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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic.
Contact us for permission to use this map |
(Subscribers click here to view this article in the member area)
Timeline by Djordje Djukic
Map of Libya: Current Situation
In the time since our previous Libya control map update at the end of September, fighting has raged on around the country's capital city of Tripoli between forces loyal to the two main competing governments. The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) has continued to consolidate footholds around the capital, but still hasn't managed to turn the tables enough to capture the city itself from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Meanwhile, forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) are still present in the Libyan desert despite the death of their organization's leader in Syria last month.Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Ethiopia's Sidama Zone Voting on Autonomy (Map)
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Ethiopia's regional states, with the Sidama Zone highlighted in darker purple within the SNNPR
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Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Fact Check: Is the AfCFTA the World's Second Biggest Free Trade Area?
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The AfCFTA is planned to cover almost all of Africa, but doesn't yet. |
That's a lot of members for a free trade area, and everyone seems to be calling it the "world's biggest free trade area since the WTO". But is that label really accurate?
(If you don't want to read the whole article, scroll down to the conclusion for a short summary.)
Monday, October 21, 2019
Mauritius Becomes Full Member of AfCFTA (Map)
In related news, the next stage of the trade area's implementation has been delayed to January 2021, but the organization's headquarters were inaugurated on August 17, 2020 in Accra, Ghana.
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Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA |
Mauritius Ratifies AfCFTA Treaty
Two months ago, we reported on this year's creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an African Union (AU) project to increase trade within Africa. Almost all of Africa's countries have signed on to the AfCFTA, but they only become full members once they've ratified its founding treaty (adopted it into their national laws) and formally registered their ratification with the AU.Monday, September 30, 2019
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline - September 2019 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of July 21, 2019.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including Murzuq, Ain Zara, Gharyan, Tripoli International Airport, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since July 21, 2019, with links to sources.
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Monday, August 26, 2019
Map: What is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?
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Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA |
New Trade Bloc: What is the AfCFTA Agreement?
Despite being neighbors, most countries in Africa trade more with other continents than with each other - a peculiar leftover of colonialism that the African Union (AU) has long been looking to change. Last year, the organization's member countries finally came together and agreed on the creation of one of the world's most expansive "free trade areas". The new zone, called the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), officially came into being on May 30, 2019, after a minimum threshold of 22 countries confirmed that they had copied its 2018 founding treaty into their national laws (a process called "ratification").Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Somalia Control Map & Timeline - August 2019
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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic.
Contact us for permission to use this map. |
Timeline by Evan Centanni
Mapping Al Shabaab Control
In the nine months since our previous Somalia control map report, the front lines in southern and central Somalia have changed only subtly: Al Shabaab, Somalia's Al Qaeda-affiliated religious hardline movement, has expanded its governance in some rural areas of the country's southwest, but at the same time has been driven out of two more important towns in the densely-populated Shabelle River valley west of Mogadishu. Scroll down for a full timeline of territorial changes and other major military and political events since last November.Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Libyan Civil War Map & Timeline - July 2019 (Subscription)
There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Libya updates.
Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of June 4, 2019.
This map and report are premium content available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Libya map!
Exclusive report includes:
- Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), and Toubou and Tuareg militias in the south. Colorblind accessible.
- Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
- Locations of recent fighting and changes of control, including Gharyan, Murzuq, Tripoli International Airport, and more.
- Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since June 4, 2019, with links to sources.
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Can I purchase just this map?
This map and report are not available for automated purchase to non-subscribers. If you need access or republication rights for only this map report, please contact service@polgeonow.com for options.