Al-Shabab’s shadow state: Why Somalia’s militants are winning legitimacy The jihadist group's administrative successes pose uncomfortable questions for the international community.

Honored for our #Somalia control #map to have been featured in the second installment of @newhumanitarian.bsky.social's "rebel rule" series on #rebelgovernance in areas outside control of official govts. #geography #defactostates #AlShabaab #HornOfAfrica

www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...

Hamas Takes Charge in Gaza After 15 Months of War Israel says it has killed thousands of the armed group’s members and destroyed much of its infrastructure, but since the cease-fire started Hamas has shown it still holds power in the enclave.

#Gaza Strip has been largely ungoverned for past year+, with #Hamas driven underground and #Israel's ground forces coming and going. Now Hamas has returned to role as Strip's government.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/w...

#Palestine #defacto #geography #defactostates #sovereignty #GazaStrip

The Island King, by Sean Williams A fugitive monarch dreams of fortune and freedom

Some recent reporting on the "Kingdom of #Papaala", enigmatic realm of a notorious financial scammer that's become something between a #micronation and a #defacto state. harpers.org/archive/2024...

#Bougainville #PNG #Melanesia #defactostates #micronations #geography #independence #Oceania

Do follow @rameshg.bsky.social for interesting posts on #citizenship in #defactostates

👇

#defactostates have agency. They are not only "Russian puppets" as commonly portrayed by the "experts" on #Eurasian or #postsoviet space. #Abkhazia is characterized by political pluralism resulted from local clan fights. #Russia is not always at the table.

Photojournalist @rshorsey visits "#Chinland": rebel-controlled areas of #Myanmar's #Chin State near #India border, including contested town of #Thantlang (via @CrisisGroup)

www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-e...

#geography #defacto #defactostates #burma #SoutheastAsia #geographyteacher #civilwar

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Formally Recognizes Palestine As A State – Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

The #Bahamas also recently joined most of the world in individually recognizing #Palestine as an independent country. mofa.gov.bs/the-commonwe...
#geography #diplomacy #defacto #defactostates #MENA #Caribbean #islandcountries #Israel MENAsky