This is a list of active rebel groups that control territory around the world whose domains may be subnational, transnational, or international. A "rebel group" is defined here as a polity that uses armed conflict in opposition to established government (or governments) for reasons such as to seek political change or to establish, maintain, or to gain independence. Groups that "control territory" are defined as any group that hold any populated or inhabited city, town, village, hamlet, or defined area that is under the direct administration or military control of the group. Such control may be contested and might be temporary or fluctuating, especially under the circumstance of conflict.
It does not include the governments of stable breakaway states or other states with limited recognition.
| Within state | Rebel group | Conflict | Control since | Territory controlled | Notes | Leader | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mali War Somali Civil War Yemeni Civil War | 2006 |  Parts of Burkina Faso[1]  Parts of central and northern Mali[2]  Large parts of southern and central Somalia[3]  Small parts of Abyan Governorate[4] | TBD | Tinzaouaten (Mali)[5] Jilib (Somalia)[6] | |||
| Boko Haram | Boko Haram insurgency | 2009 |  Small parts of Borno, Kaduna and Niger States[7] | Relocated to Kaduna State after the Battle of Sambisa Forest | Abu Umaimata | Chikun[8] [9] | |
| Insurgency in Cabo Delgado Mali War Boko Haram insurgency Somali Civil War | 2015 | Large parts of Borno State[10] [11] [12] Several villages in the Bari region[13] Several villages in the Gao region[14]  Parts of Cabo Delgado Province[15] | Designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations[16] | Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi | Unknown | ||
| Indigenous People of Biafra | Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria | 2021 | Parts of the Former Republic of Biafra | Nnamdi Kanu | Unknown | ||
| Biafra Nations League | Bakassi Conflict | 2021 | Bakassi Peninsula | Princewill Chimezie Richards, Henry Edet | Bakassi Peninsula | ||
| Red Dragon | Anglophone Crisis | 2019 | Several villages in Lebialem department of Southwest Province in Cameroon[17] | The Red Dragon militia controlling parts of Lebialem is loyal to the Interim Government of Ambazonia | Lekeaka Oliver | Unknown | |
| Coalition of Patriots for Change | Central African Republic Civil War | 2020 | Parts of Central African Republic | Coalition of multiple groups including Anti-balaka, 3R, and MPC | François Bozizé[18] [19] | N'Djamena, Chad[20] | |
| Mai-Mai | Kivu conflict | 2003 | Parts of northeastern DRC[21] | Various groups | Various leaders | Depending on group | |
| March 23 Movement | 2012 | Parts of North Kivu province[22] | Bertrand Bisimwa | ||||
| Nduma Defense of Congo-Renouveau | 2015 | Parts of North Kivu province[23] | Shimiray Mwissa Guidon | Pinga | |||
| 2012 | Parts of northern Mali[24] | Bilal Ag Acherif | Kidal[25] | ||||
| Fano | 2023 | Parts of the Amhara Region[26] | Zemene Kassie | ||||
| Kachin Independence Army | Internal conflict in Myanmar | 2011 | Parts of Kachin State[27] | Military wing of Kachin Independence Organisation | N'Ban La | Laiza | |
| People's Defence Force | 2021 | Areas across Myanmar.[28] | Created as opposition to military junta | Duwa Lashi La | Multiple local headquarters | ||
| MNDAA | 2021 | Kokang region. | Pheung Kya-shin | ||||
| KNDF | 2021 | Khun Bedu | |||||
| 2021 | Parts of Chin State[29] | Falam | |||||
| Karen National Liberation Army | 1966 | Parts of Kayin State[30] [31] | Military wing of Karen National Union | Saw Mutu Say Poe | Lay Wah | ||
| Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance | Casamance conflict | 1982 | Parts of Casamance region in Senegal.[32] | ||||
| Sudan Revolutionary Front | Sudan–SRF conflict | 2011 | Parts of South Kordofan state and Blue Nile state[33] | Abdelaziz al-Hilu | Kauda[34] | ||
| Syrian Salvation Government (Tahrir al-Sham) | Syrian civil war | 2017 | Northwestern Syria[35] | Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government | Abu Mohammad al-Julani | Idlib | |
| Maghaweir al-Thowra | 2016 | Small pocket in the Syrian Desert adjacent to the Jordanian border and the Iraqi border[36] [37] | Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government and aligned with the United States | Al-Tanf | |||
| 2012 | Territories in the north and east of Syria, mostly over the Euphrates River | Faction within the Syrian civil war semi-allied to the Syrian government, allied to the United States, and opposed by Turkey | Îlham Ehmed, Mansur Selum | Qamishli | |||
| Syrian National Army | 2017 | Border areas of Northern Syria[38] | Faction within the Syrian civil war opposed to the Syrian government and aligned with Turkey | Anas al-Abdah | Azaz[39] | ||
| Yemeni Civil War | 2017 | Some of the territory in South Yemen[40] [41] [42] | Organized in response to various grievances of southern Yemenis. It maintains a tenuous peace with the Yemeni government. | Aidarus al-Zoubaidi | Aden | ||
| Houthi movement | 2004 | Most of former North Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, and parts of South Yemen[43] | The Houthis control the Supreme Political Council,[44] which is unrecognized by the international community | Mahdi al-Mashat | Sa'dah |