Rebel forces are groups that engage in armed conflict with established governments. They may be national, international or local, but they all are in opposition to some existing authority. These rebel groups are listed according to the amount of territory they control, which may be temporary or contested within a state of war.
Rebels often have a strong appeal to many people because of the sense of injustice that drives them. These injustices could be economic, political or social. For example, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation sprang onto the world stage in 1994 with an armed uprising against Mexican state rule in Chiapas. They advocated fiercely for indigenous rights and social justice and their message resonated worldwide.
In February 2019, HTS surprised the world with a surprise offensive in Syria, seizing a swath of territory in northwest Syria. Initially, it did so with minimal resistance from Syrian government forces. Its leader, Mohammad al-Jolani, quickly appointed a senior rebel official to run a new interim government.
In the past, rebel forces have been involved in a variety of other uprisings. The Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 in Ballarat, Australia was an armed protest against British colonial taxation policies, and the Taiping Rebellion by God Worshippers against the Qing dynasty in China claimed between 20 and 30 million lives. Other examples include the Peasants’ Revolt in England led by Wat Tyler and John Ball, the Indian Rebellion led by Rajguru and Sukhdev and the Nepalese Rebellion led by Gurkhas.
