June 2025 Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Al Shabaab Resurgence, ISIS Retreat, Jubaland Defiant (Subscription)

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Map by Evan Centanni, from basemap by onestopmap.com 

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Several significant shifts in territorial control have affected Somalia since December 2024. Most recently, forces of Somalia's Al Qaeda affiliated rival government, Al Shabaab, began sweeping across Middle Shabelle region on the heels of an African Union troop reduction and mission downgrade, erasing most of the pro-federal coalition's 2022 gains there. It's also captured key areas in Hiran and Lower Shabelle regions, leading to fears that capital city Mogadishu could be at risk.

Before that a small but deadly conflict between the federal government and Jubaland state left the southern region essentially outside the country's main coalition. Then, Puntland state carried out a remarkably effective offensive (known as "Operation Hilaac") gutting the core of so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) control in the northern mountains, likely uprooting the global network's central financial hub.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Somalia control map, which includes a summary and timeline of territorial changes and key events since our previous Somalia map report illustrating the situation in June 2024, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Illustration of current territorial control across all areas claimed by Somalia in late June 2025, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including AUSSOM peacekeepers - formerly ATMIS), autonomous unionist forces (Puntland, SSC-Khatumo, and now Jubaland), separatist Somaliland, Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab, and fighters aligned with the so-called "Islamic State" (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 El Baraf (Ceel Baraf), Bal'ad (Balcad), Masajid Ali Gadud (Masaajid Cali Gaduud), Adan Yabal (Adan Yabaal), Aborey (Aboorey), Awdhegle (Aw Dheegle), and Ras Kamboni (Raas Kambooni), as well as Dhadar (Dhaadaar), Tasji' (Tasjiic, Tisjiic), Turmasale (Tuur Masaale), and other sites in the Almiskat (Cal Miskaad) Mountains, plus many more.
• Beginner-friendly summary of major shifts and milestones in Somalia's civil war from mid-2024 to mid-2025
• Detailed timeline of territorial control changes and selected key political and military events from June 28, 2024 to June 19, 2025, with sources cited. Includes events related to claims of Al Shabaab control in neighboring Kenya, as well as developments in Somalia's membership in international organizations.
• Chronicle of key developments in the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland's quest for international recognition as an independent country (events included as part of timeline)
  

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June 2024 Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Height of ISIS Control, Al Shabaab Stalemate

(To see other maps in this series, view all Somalia updates.)

This is the second of a set of three Somalia reports published in June 2025 covering the past two years of Somalia's civil war, here mapping the situation as of late June 2024. See also our simultaneously-published reports illustrating the situation as of August 2023 and June 2025.

Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with design and control by Evan Centanni. To use this map in your own materials, please contact us to arrange permission.

Article and timeline by Evan Centanni

Mapping Somalia in 2024: Al Shabaab Stalemate and the Height of ISIS Control

This report covers the period in Somalia’s civil war from August 26, 2024 to June 28, 2023, before the events of early 2025, which would see a major Al Shabaab resurgence in central Somalia, as well as the retreat of the so-called “Islamic State” (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) during Puntland state’s “Operation Lightning’” (Hilaac) in the remote mountains of the north. In retrospect, the time from mid-2023 to mid-2024 now looks like a period of relative calm – particularly as the war between Somaliland and SSC-Khatumo settled into a state of frozen conflict - but there were still a number of important developments, which are summarized in the following paragraphs and covered in more detail in the event timeline further below (where additional sources are cited in the form of in-line links). In brief, this period included:

• The rollback of recent pro-federal gains in central Somalia's Galgadud region after the coalition's defeat at Osweyne, returning Al Shabaab’s area of control there to its previous extent from 2022 (including Elbur and, for a time, Eldher as well)
• Federal-aligned forces’ temporary capture, lasting for several months, of the most prominent settlements held by Al Shabaab in neighboring Mudug region (Ba’adweyn, Amara, and Qey’ad), and lasting control of Bulo Haji, a key outpost in Lower Juba
• The defeat of Al Shabaab in northern Somalia's Almiskat Mountains at the hands of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), which was then able to consolidate power and reach roughly its all-time peak of control in Somalia
• Progress in the planned reduction of the African Union’s ATMIS “peacekeeping” force, with the number of bases handed over or closed reaching at total of 18 out of roughly 70
• Political turmoil as the Somali federal government turned against ally Ethiopia over a deal struck with self-proclaimed independent Somaliland
• A major escalation in the “Hiran State” movement, with its supporters clashing with federal forces and capturing key sites in Beledweyne city
• The end of the “Ga’an Libah” insurrection in central Somaliland
• Self-governed Puntland state’s latest exit from federal politics, announcing that it would act “independent” even while continuing to say it was part of Somalia

August 2023 Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Peak of Federal Control, SSC-Khatumo Triumph (Subscription)

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Map by Evan Centanni, from basemap by onestopmap.com 

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Mid-2023 saw a 15-year low point in control by Somalia's Al Qaeda-affiliated rival government Al Shabaab in its war against the coalition represented by the country's internationally-recognized federal government. On the very same day, history recorded a striking victory for the SSC-Khatumo movement, which overnight achieved its major objective of breaking away from self-proclaimed independent Somaliland, with the goal of joining federal Somalia as a state of its own.  

During the same period, forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) turned the tables on Al Shabaab fighters in the north's Almiskat (Cal Miskaad) Mountains, beginning to retake control from the vindictive rival group. In southern and central Somalia, the international troops of the African Union's ATMIS force completed the first planned phase of their partial withdrawal from the country. And two small insurrections sprung up, with dissidents declaring a "Hiran State" (also spelled "Hiiraan State") separate from Somalia's Hirshabelle, while "Ga'an Libah" (Gacan Libaax) militias carried out an insurgency in central Somaliland.

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 illustrating the situation in January 2023, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Illustration of current territorial control across all areas claimed by Somalia in late August 2023, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including ATMIS peacekeepers), autonomous unionist forces (Puntland and SSC-Khatumo), 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 Lasanod (Las Anod, Laas Canood, Laascaanood), Gumays (Guumeys), Elbur (Ceel Buur), Osweyne (Oswein, Cowsweyne), Goja'ade (Goojacadde), Run Nirgod (Ruun-Nirgood), Garasyani (Garasiyaani), Shebab (Sheebaab), Bulo Marer (Buulo Mareer) and many more.
• Beginner-friendly summary of major shifts and milestones in Somalia's civil war during early to mid-2023
• Detailed timeline of territorial control changes (including airspace) and selected key political and military events from January 17, 2023 to August 25, 2023, with sources cited. Includes events related to claims of Al Shabaab control in neighboring Kenya, as well as developments in administration of Somali airspace and Somalia's membership in international organizations.
• Chronicle of key developments in the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland's quest for international recognition as an independent country (events included as part of timeline)
  

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Syria: Map of Control in January 2025 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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A month after the fall of Assad, much is still unresolved. Russian bases remain along the coast, and Kurdish-led forces operate their own government in the east, where their war with Turkish-backed former rebels continues after a failed ceasefire. 

Meanwhile, Israel has further expanded its control in the southwest, while the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) reportedly grows in power, and Suwayda province is controlled by Druze militias with an unclear stance towards the new rebel-installed national government.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of key events since our previous Syria map report illustrating the situation on December 14, with sources cited.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the victorious rebel coalition, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), resurgent forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), the Israeli military (IDF), and other non-rebel-allied forces like the Russian military and Druze militias.
  
• Pattern showing the major areas of "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) activity beyond what the group fully controls.
  
• Special symbol for joint Turkish/rebel control and in the border region
• Outline showing approximate location of the US-declared "deconfliction zone"
• Special symbols indicating which towns and cities are under the rebel bloc led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - formerly the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front - and by the Kurdish YPG militia (part of the SDF anti-"Islamic State" coalition)
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Dayr Hafir, the Tishrin Dam, Suwayda, Hmeimim (Khmeimim) airbase, Russia's Tartus naval base, and more
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 14, 2024, with links to sources.

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Syria: Map of Control After the Fall of Assad - Dec. 14, 2024 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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As the Syrian government collapsed, rebel forces spread out to assert themselves as the new authorities across most of the country, though much remains to be settled. Turkish-backed rebels jockeyed with the Kurdish-led SDF for control of the north and east, while Israel sent troops towards Damascus and the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) attempted a resurgence in the central desert.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of key events since our previous Syria map report illustrating the situation eight days earlier, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the victorious rebel coalition, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), resurgent forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), the Israeli military, and the two remaining Russian military bases in the country.
• Pattern showing the major areas of "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) activity beyond what the group fully controls.
  
• Special symbol for joint Turkish/rebel control and in the border region
• Outline showing approximate location of the US-declared "deconfliction zone"
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by the rebels of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - formerly the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front - and by the Kurdish YPG militia (part of the SDF anti-"Islamic State" coalition)
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Manbij, Tanf, Al Kawm, Hmeimim (Khmeimim) airbase, Russia's Tartus naval base, Al-Ba'ath, and more
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 6, 2024, with links to sources.

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Syrian Civil War Reignites: Map of Control Amid Rebel Advance (Dec. 6, 2024)

This map shows the situation on December 6, 2024, just before the final collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus. Though the cities of Homs and Damascus have reportedly come under rebel control since then, the country is now in such disarray that current control can't be accurately mapped. 

We plan to publish an update for our subscribers within the next few days, clarifying post-Assad control once the dust has begun to settle.

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

Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Djordje Djukic and Evan Centanni. Area of IS activity is based on 2024 data from ACLED (see footnote for full citation), and reflects a change in methodology from previous editions.
Contact us for permission to use this map.

Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Return to War: Lightning Offensive and Countrywide Shifts

Twelve days ago, Syria's 13-year-old civil war, mostly dormant for the past four years, exploded back onto the scene with a surprise rebel offensive out of the northwest, which quickly managed to seize the country's second largest city, Aleppo. The lead rebel group was the former Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), though Turkish-backed rebels from the northern border regions also joined the fray, with the two groups quickly taking over the country's second largest city, Aleppo. 

As hardline HTS-led forces marched rapidly south, two more rebel fronts emerged, with US-backed fighters in the southern desert expanding out of their longtime safe zone, and a reborn opposition in the southwest recapturing the former rebel stronghold of Daraa. Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) moved to consolidate their control in the north and east, and over the next ten days moved into areas west of the Euphrates River - including the major city of Deir ez-Zor - as the Syrian military withdrew.

December 6th - the date illustrated on the map above - saw the Syrian military's last major resistance to the surprise rebel assault. The next two days would be a period of government free fall, with rebels apparently entering the city of Homs and national capital Damascus without much resistance. Meanwhile, authoritarian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country as his military withdrew from both cities and the country's central desert, conceding victory in the central conflict of the country's 13-year civil war.

Assad Has Fallen: What's Next for Control in Syria?

Syria is now in disarray, and many questions remain to be answered. What kind of new government will emerge in Damascus? Will former government loyalists hold onto the country's now-isolated coastal region, a traditional bastion of Assad's supporters and still host to his Russian military allies? Will democracy-minded rebel groups work together with the religious-hardline HTS, turn against it, or go their own way in their own strongholds? 

One thing that does seem certain: Syria's division isn't over yet. Even if a rebel coalition government secures power over the country's whole west and center, much of the north and northeast remain under control of the Kurdish-led SDF. While the SDF and the provisional government of its controlled areas do still consider themselves part of Syria, they'll likely be in no hurry to submit to any rebel-led administration. For one thing, they're determined to guarantee rights for Syria's Kurdish people before any future reintegration - and likely under pressure from its US patrons to continue the fight against the so-called "Islamic State" (IS, formerly ISIS).

But the Kurdish-led forces in the northeast also aren't on good terms with either of the two most powerful rebel factions. With Türkiye's government labeling the Kurdish militias at the core of the SDF's forces as terrorist groups, Turkish-backed rebels are more enemies than friends to the US-backed coalition (despite the US and Türkiye being allied with each other as fellow NATO members). Meanwhile, it probably goes without saying that the pro-democracy, fiercely anti-IS, US-supported SDF will be wary of cooperation with the religious-hardline HTS, who many fear could become the next Taliban.

To follow our further coverage as post-Assad territorial control develops, visit or bookmark our listing of all Syria control map reports.

Syria Control Map & Report - July 2023 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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For years there have been no lasting changes to the lines of control in Syria's nearly-frozen civil war, but sporadic fighting has continued between rival rebel groups, between Turkish-led forces and elements of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and as part of the ongoing insurgency carried out by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL).

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of key events since our previous Syria map report from last year, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Colorblind accessible.
• Pattern showing areas of "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) dispersed operational presence now that the group has lost its last firmly-held territory.
  
• Special symbols for joint Turkish/rebel control and joint SDF/government control in the border region
• Extent of "security corridor" sponsored by Turkey and Russia in the rebel-held northwest
• Outline showing approximate location of the one publicly-known US "deconfliction zone"
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS) and by the Kurdish YPG militia (part of the SDF anti-"Islamic State" coalition)
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Afrin, Tanf, Al-Kawm, and more
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since February 23, 2022, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Al Shabaab in Retreat - January 2023 (Subscription) - Final Version

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Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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Pro-federal forces, including local militias and other allies, have made remarkable gains against Al Shabaab in recent months, despite their advances in mid-2022 having been exaggerated. Al Shabaab has recently been driven out of several major towns that it governed unopposed for many years - potentially the biggest achievement of the pro-federal coalition in almost a decade.

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 December 2021, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Somalia, color-coded for the federal government coalition (including ATMIS 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 Bo'o (Booco), Ali Gadud, Masagaway, Harardhere, Eldher, Bahdo (Baxdo), Qayib, and many more.
• Detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political and humanitarian developments since December 14, 2021, with sources cited. 
• Summary of the conflict situation and changes to the map over the past four months.
• Chronicle of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland's international relations in its quest for recognition as an independent country (events included as part of timeline)
  

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Syria Control Map & Report - February 2022 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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Despite no changes to Syria's lines of control since 2020, the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) has continued a bloody insurgency in the central desert, which has increasingly occupied the Assad government and its Russian and Iranian allies. Meanwhile, fighting between Kurdish- and Turkish-led forces has carried on sporadically, and a sort of rebel resurgence in the southwest has come and gone.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report last November, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Colorblind accessible.
• Pattern showing areas of "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) dispersed operational presence now that the group has lost its last firmly-held territory.
  
• Special symbols for joint Turkish/rebel control and joint SDF/government control in the border region
• Extent of "security corridor" sponsored by Turkey and Russia in the rebel-held northwest
• Outline showing approximate location of the one publicly-known US "deconfliction zone"
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Al Qaeda Nusra Front (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS) and by the Kurdish YPG militia (part of the SDF anti-"Islamic State" coalition)
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
• Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Tafas, Ayn Issa, Resafa, Atmah, and more
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since November 22, 2020, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Mozambique Control Map: Cabo Delgado Insurgency Shifts West - February 2022 (Subscription)

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Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

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After being driven from the key northeastern towns of Palma and Mocímboa da Praia by Rwandan-led forces, Mozambique's insurgents have dispersed westward as far as Meluco and Mueda districts, as well as the neighboring province of Niassa. Meanwhile, they've also increased cross-border raids into Tanzania.

 

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Mozambique territorial control map report, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Cabo Delgado map report at the end of last August. While the main map is focused in on Cabo Delgado province, events in Niassa province are labelled on a supplementary full-country map included in the report.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Detailed illustration of approximate current territorial control in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, color-coded for insurgents affiliated with the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) vs. the Mozambican government and allies (including Rwandan and the SADC's SAMIM troops). Colorblind accessible. 
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control status, including for many relevant smaller towns and villages.
• Detailed indication of which towns and villages have subject to insurgent raids or pro-government military operations since the end of August 2021, including sites across the border in Tanzania.
  
• Contextual details including district boundaries, rivers, major roads, and terrain.
  
• Sites of international economic interest: Total's suspended LNG site, offshore natural gas fields, and Montepuez ruby mine.
  
• Key locations from the news, including Ngapa, Nova Zambezia, Chitoio, Quinto Congresso, Nambungali, and many more.
• Supplementary map showing the insurgency's location within Mozambique as a whole, also labeling towns in Niassa province that have come under attack, such as Mecula, Naulala, and Chimene.
  
• Accompanying article with detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political and military developments since late July, with sources cited. 

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Somalia Control Map & Timeline - December 2021

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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic.
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Timeline by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic

Somalia Crisis Timeline: Political and Military Disarray in 2021

In the nearly 10 months since PolGeoNow's previous Somalia control map report, the country's news cycle has been dominated by a series of interconnected political crises that have led the federal government's military to the brink of civil war. All the while, the fight against Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab, which operates a parallel government across much of Somalia's countryside, has continued to see a mix of victories and defeats for each side. And while the standoff between the federal army and Jubaland state forces has ended, new regional conflicts have erupted in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states, including a major resurgence of the controversial ASWJ militia.

Read on for concise summaries of the past 10 months' political crises and military trends, followed by a detailed timeline of events since February. Sources for our reporting, and for changes to the map since last time, are covered in the detailed timeline and the additional source notes at the bottom of the page.

Are Mozambique's insurgents really part of "ISIS"?

This is one of two newly-published supplements to PolGeoNow's Mozambique insurgency control map report series. The other revisits the question of the what the insurgents are actually called, still relevant one year after we first reported on their history and emergence onto the world stage.

Mozambique's insurgents have been pushed out of their most prized territories, but are still fighting on in other areas.

PolGeoNow's coverage of the insurgency in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province has, as usual, been largely focused on who controls what territory in the conflict - and though insurgents have recently lost their most prominent territorial holdings, they're still a force to be reckoned with. 

But there's one big question that still hangs over the story, relevant both to how the outside world should view the insurgency and to what the rebels are even called:

Are Mozambique's insurgents part of "ISIS"?

A year after they made international headlines by capturing and holding onto the major town of Mocímboa da Praia, the short answer is still "probably sort of".

The so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS or ISIL), though it started in Iraq and Syria and still is based there, has also established branches and franchises - with varying degrees of connection to IS headquarters - in far-flung countries around Africa and Asia. So the more specific question is: Are the Cabo Delgado insurgents genuinely connected to IS, and if so, how connected?

What are Mozambique's insurgents called?

This is one of two newly-published supplements to PolGeoNow's Mozambique insurgency control map series. The other provides an update on the question of what links really exist between the insurgents and the so-called "Islamic State" organization (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL).

At the height of their control earlier this year, secretive insurgents dominated a small but important corner of Mozambique. (Map from our July 2021 Cabo Delgado update.)

A Nearly-Nameless Insurgency

In our August 2020 Mozambique conflict map article, we discussed confusion over the name of the insurgent group operating in Cabo Delgado province. Now, a year later, we've decided it's time to briefly revisit that question. 

Though the fighters have now been pushed out of their most prized territories, they're still present in the region in large numbers, so questions about their identity remain highly relevant.

Al Shabaab in Mozambique?

At this point there's no longer much question that the group's most commonly-used name in Cabo Delgado - by both its opponents and the insurgents themselves - is "Al-Shabab". This unofficial name, which means "the youth" in Arabic (the international language of the Islamic religion, but not of everyday communication in Mozambique), appears to be a reference to the Al Shabaab insurgent group in Somalia. Though the word is usually spelled "Shabaab" in the Somali context, and international commentary often uses this spelling for the Cabo Delgado insurgents too, local spelling conventions in Mozambique tend to prefer "Shabab" without the double A.

Mozambique Control Map: Rebels Lose Mocímboa da Praia - August 2021 (Subscription)

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

Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Timeline by Djordje Djukic.

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After the intervention of Rwandan forces, Insurgents aligned with the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) have been pushed out of their most notable territories in Mozambique's far northern province of Cabo Delgado. However, they're believed to still be active in large numbers in more remote areas.

 

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Mozambique territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Cabo Delgado map report in July.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

(Note: Though Rwanda's defense department has been seen using our Cabo Delgado map in a press briefing, PolGeoNow has no known contact or business relationship with the Rwandan government or military, and the map was used without our prior knowledge. As always, PolGeoNow does not endorse any actor, organization, or policy in any armed conflict or political dispute.)

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Detailed illustration of approximate current territorial control in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, color-coded for insurgents affiliated with the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) vs. the Mozambican government and allies (including Rwandan and SADC troops). Areas of contested or unclear control indicated separately. Colorblind accessible. 
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control status, including for many relevant smaller towns and villages.
• Detailed indication of which towns and villages have subject to insurgent raids or pro-government military operations since late July 2021.
  
• Contextual details including district boundaries, rivers, major roads, and terrain.
  
• Sites of international economic interest: Total's suspended LNG site, offshore natural gas fields, and Montepuez ruby mine.
  
• Key locations from the news, including Palma, Mocímboa da Praia, Awasse, Ntotwe, Nchinga, and many more.
• Accompanying article with detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political and military developments since late July, with sources cited. 

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Mozambique Insurgency: Map of Control in Cabo Delgado - July 2021 (Subscription)

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

Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Timeline by Djordje Djukic.

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Insurgents with claimed ties to the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) have mostly held onto their limited areas of control in Mozambique's far northern province of Cabo Delgado. But that could start changing fast, with newly-arrived Rwandan troops already on the offensive.

 

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Mozambique territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Cabo Delgado map report in April.

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 Mozambique map!

Exclusive map report includes:

• Detailed illustration of approximate current territorial control in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, color-coded for insurgents affiliated with the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) vs. the Mozambican government and allies (including Rwandan troops). Areas of contested or unclear control indicated separately. Colorblind accessible. 
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control status, including for many relevant smaller towns and villages.
• Detailed indication of which towns and villages have subject to insurgent raids or government attacks since April 2021.
  
• Contextual details including district boundaries, rivers, major roads, and terrain shading.
  
• Sites of international economic interest: Total's under-construction LNG plant, offshore natural gas fields, and Montepuez ruby mine.
  
• Key locations from the news, including Palma, Mocímboa da Praia, Awasse, Diaca, Ntchinga, Panjele, Quiwiya, and many more.
• Accompanying article with detailed timeline of territorial control changes and key political and military developments since April, with sources cited. 

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Not signed up yet? Click here to learn more about our professional subscription service!

Libya Control Map & Timeline: Lines Frozen by Unity Deal - April 2021 (Subscription)

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(To see more maps in this series, view all Libya articles.)

Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic.

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Libya's civil war entered a stalemate after the eastern government's failure to capture Tripoli from the western government last year - and now it's been tentatively declared over after a peace deal and formation of a unity government. 

But for the time being, the lines of control between former opposing military forces remain in place, and we've made some adjustments to the map based on newly-available information.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libya control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya control map report of June 21, 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 forces aligned with the former Government of National Accord (GNA), 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.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since June 21, 2020, with links to sources.

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