No More Bangsamoro Republik: Philippine Rebel Occupation Defeated

Claims and territorial control of the MNLF rebels and Bangsamoro Republik during last month's crisis. Click to see full-sized map and article. Map by Evan Centanni.

Territory Retaken by Government
Last month, Political Geography Now mapped Moro rebel control in the Philippines' Zamboanga crisis. The rebels, drawn from a group which had declared independence from the Philippines as the Bangsamoro Republik, had occupied several neighborhoods of Zamboanga City in the country's southwest after an aborted attempt to raise their flag in the city center.

Ten days after we published that article, the government of the Philippines declared the crisis over, with all hostages freed and only scattered fighting occurring over the next two days as the surviving rebels attempted to escape the area. After nearly three weeks of chaos, the city of Zamboanga was once again fully under government control.

What of the MNLF fighters?
Though hundreds of rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were killed in the fighting, some did escape, and the attack's commander Habier Malik is still missing. Nur Misuari, the faction's leader and founder of the self-declared Bangsamoro Republik, was not present at the attack but is now wanted on charges of rebellion. But he may have more than just the government to worry about - Malik's surviving men from the Zamboanga attack are also said to be on the hunt for Misuari, who allegedly tricked them into participating. According to Mujiv Hataman, governor of the officially sanctioned Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Misuari promised Malik's men that U.N. peacekeepers would arrive soon after the attack to secure Bangsamoro independence and reward each fighter with 10,000 pesos (US $230) and a new weapon.

BIFF Attacks
Attacks by other Moro rebel groups in nearby regions continued until just after Zamboanga was secured. In particular, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group from the Moro Islamic Liberation Fighters (MILF) who are currently in peace talks with the Philippine government, continued launching attacks elsewhere in Mindanao into early October. The BIFF is not closely tied to Nur Misuari's MNLF, and these were apparently just opportunistic attacks taking advantage of the military's distraction during the crisis in Zamboanga.

More information: Bangsamoro Republik? Philippine Separatists Seize Territory (map)

Map Update: Kosovo Recognized by 3 More Countries (103/193)

Countries recognizing the Republic of Kosovo in green, highlighting recent additions. Disputed recognitions in yellow. Kosovo in magenta. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

New ALBA Member: Saint Lucia (Map)

The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA). Map by Evan Centanni.

Central African Republic: Towns Retaken by Government-allied Forces (September 2013)

There are newer maps of this conflict available. To see them, view all Central African Republic articles on PolGeoNow. 

Counter-rebels briefly captured at least one Central African Republic town in September (click for full map and article). Map by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Keitsist. License: CC BY-SA

Territory Nominally Reunited
Two weeks ago, Political Geography Now reported on rebel control in the Central African Republic's new counter-rebellion. Since then, the towns of Bouca and Bossangoa have reportedly both been recaptured by forces belonging to Séléka, the former rebel coalition whose leader is now the president of the Central African Republic.

However, as outrage grows over vicious violence against civilians which has continued since Séléka's campaign to take over the Central African Republic earlier this year, the new President Michel Djotodia has little actual control over the country.

One another analyst says that "law and order stops outside the presidential palace" in Bangui, and the AFP reported earlier this month that "A large number of [Séléka] fighters answer only to their direct leaders, who have carved out personal fiefdoms in the wake of the rebellion". This raises serious questions regarding President Djotodia's claims that he is now dissolving and outlawing the Séléka organization.

More information: Rebel Control Map: Central African Republic's Counter-Rebellion

To see Séléka's rise to power illustrated in rebel-control maps, view all Central African Republic articles.

Bangsamoro Republik? Philippine Separatists Seize Territory (map)

Zamboanga City in the southwestern Philippines came under rebel attack last week, with insurgents seizing and occupying several neighborhoods. Because the fighters are from a rebel group that declared independence in August, their newfound territorial control might technically be considered the birth of a new breakaway state. Details and discussion below!

Claims and territorial control of the MNLF rebels/Bangsamoro Republik. Map by Evan Centanni.