Rival government

A rival government is a political group that claims to be the legitimate government (exclusive mandate) of a sovereign state in opposition to the internationally recognized government which holds the United Nations seat for that country. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Such governments tend to be formed in the aftermath of a civil war, revolution, or military coup. They differ from a government in exile as they are based in, and have control over territory within the claimed state.

Current rival governments

National level

Government	State	Established	Notes
Republic of China	China	1971	Originally founded in 1912 following the 1911 Revolution. The Nationalist government took control with the Northern Expedition in 1920s. Collapsed following the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan. Lost its international recognition with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) and the One China policy of the mainland Communist government.
Hamas administration	State of Palestine	2007	Established by Hamas in 2007 following the Battle of Gaza in opposition to the Fatah-led Government of Palestine. Based in Gaza City and controls parts of the Gaza Strip. [4] [5] [6]
Islamic Emirate of Somalia	Somalia	2008	Established in 2008 by Al-Shabaab in opposition to the Federal Government of Somalia during the Somali Civil War. Based in Jilib and controls parts of southern and central Somalia.
Supreme Political Council	Yemen	2016	Established by the Houthis following their takeover of Sanaa in September 2014 during the Yemeni civil war in opposition to the Presidential Leadership Council. Based in Sanaa and has control over parts of northern and western Yemen. [7] Recognised by Iran as the legitimate government of Yemen and was previously recognised by Syria under the Ba'athist regime.
National Unity Government of Myanmar	State Security and Peace Commission	2021	Established by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état and subsequent Myanmar Civil War in opposition to the provisional government appointed by the State Administration Council. Operates in hiding within areas of Myanmar under its control. [8] [9] In January 2025, Lwin Ko Latt stated that the NUG will be headquartered in Sagaing Region and ministerial offices would be opened in this month in the liberated areas within the region. [10] As of May 2025, the United Nations continues to list NUG President Win Myint as President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. [11]
Government of National Stability	Libya	2022	Formed by the House of Representatives in March 2022 in opposition to the Government of National Unity appointed by the Libyan Presidential Council. Based in Tobruk and controls most of eastern Libya. [12]
Government of Peace and Unity	Sudan	2025	Established by the Rapid Support Forces in April 2025 during the Sudanese Civil War in opposition to the cabinet appointed by the Transitional Sovereignty Council. Based in Nyala and controls southern Darfur and parts of Kordofan. [13] [14]

Sub-national level

Government	State	Established	Notes
Popular Forces administration	Hamas administration	2025	Established in 2025 by the Popular Forces in opposition to the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war. Based in al-Bayuk and controls most of eastern Rafah and Khan Yunis. [15]
Congo River Alliance	Democratic Republic of Congo	2025	The Congo River Alliance has appointed rival provincial governors in the areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces that are under its control, in opposition to the de jure provincial governors appointed by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Supreme Legal Committee in Suwayda	Syrian Arab Republic	2025	An administration established by the Druze armed forces following clashes in the region and the partial withdrawal of central government institutions. The SLCS was headed by a Druze sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

Previous rival governments since 1945

Government	State	Established	Disestablished	Notes
Provisional Democratic Government	Kingdom of Greece	1947	1949	Established by the Communist Party of Greece in December 1947 during Greek Civil War. It was defeated in 1949 in the Operation Pyrsos and officially dissolved in 1950.
People's Republic of China	National Government of the Republic of China	1949	Recognised 1971	Proclaimed by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949 after its victory in the Chinese Civil War. Gained international recognition with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI).
Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia	Indonesia	1958	1961	Established to combat the Djuanda Cabinet-backed Guided democracy government in Indonesia led by Sukarno, the revolutionary government was eventually defeated and its leaders imprisoned.
Free Republic of the Congo	Republic of the Congo	1960	1962	Established on 12 December 1960 following Patrice Lumumba's deposition during the Congo Crisis. It was soon recognised by Socialist and African countries. In late 1961 and early 1962, the Chamber of Deputies demanded the return of Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga to the capital and military chief Victor Lundula pledged allegiance to the official government and arrested Gizenga ending the government.
People's Republic of the Congo	Democratic Republic of the Congo	1963	1965	Established in August 1964 following the conquest of Stanleyville during the Congo Crisis by the Simba rebels. In 1965, the last rebel strongholds fell.
Republic of South Vietnam	Republic of Vietnam	1969	1976	Established on 8 June 1969 during the Vietnam War in opposition to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Administered Viet Cong held areas of South Vietnam. Was recognized as the government of South Vietnam by most socialist states and Malta. [16] Gained complete control of South Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Was disbanded when South Vietnam merged with North Vietnam on 2 July 1976 to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Democratic People's Republic of Angola	People's Republic of Angola	1975	2002	Established on 11 November 1975 during the Angolan Civil War by the originally Maoist UNITA. After the death of Jonas Savimbi, UNITA demobilized and became an ordinary political party.
People's Republic of Kampuchea	Democratic Kampuchea	1979	1992	Established by the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation in opposition to Democratic Kampuchea following the capture of Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979 by Vietnamese forces during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Based in Phnom Penh and administered most of Cambodia. The previous regime continued to be recognised as Cambodia's legitimate government by most countries and held the country's seat at the United Nations. The People's Republic of Kampuchea changed its name to the State of Cambodia in 1989 and was disestablished when Cambodia came under United Nations administration in 1992.
State Committee on the State of Emergency	Presidency of the Soviet Union	19 August 1991	21 August 1991	Established on 19 August 1991 during the August Coup by communist hardliners, in opposition to official government of Mikhail Gorbachev. Led by Gennady Yanayev as acting President, it claimed authority over Soviet Union under a state of emergency while de facto controlling key government buildings including Kremlin and military units in Moscow. Committee self-dissolved and members were arrested on 21 August 1991 after failing to seize full control.
Supreme Soviet Government	Yeltsin Government	September 1993	October 1993	Established on 21 September 1993 during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis in opposition to the Yeltsin government. Led by Alexander Rutskoy as Acting President and Ruslan Khasbulatov as Supreme Soviet Chairman, it claimed authority over Russia while de facto controlling only the Russian White House and adjacent streets in Moscow. De facto Disestablished on 4 October 1993 when Yeltsin’s forces stormed the building.
Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia	Kingdom of Cambodia	1994	1998	Established by remnants of the Khmer Rouge. It was based in the Pailin municipality. Dissolved following Pol Pot's death.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan	Islamic State of Afghanistan	1996	2001	Established by the Taliban on 4 April 1996 during the Afghan conflict in opposition to the Islamic State of Afghanistan. Was initially based in Kandahar before capturing Kabul on 27 September 1996 and had gained control of approximately 90% of Afghanistan by the end of 2000. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was recognised by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The Taliban were forced out of Kabul and Kandahar in 2001 during the United States invasion of Afghanistan. The Taliban maintained an insurgency against the Afghan government and, following a decision by US president Donald Trump to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan beginning in 2020, recaptured Kabul on 15 August 2021.
National Transitional Council	Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	2011	2012	Established by Anti-Gaddafi forces in February 2011 during the First Libyan Civil War in opposition to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Based in Benghazi. Gained control of eastern Libya in March 2011 and captured Tripoli in August 2011. The council gained recognition by numerous states as the legitimate government of Libya and was granted the country's seat in the United Nations in September 2011. Was superseded by the cabinet appointed by the General National Congress elected in 2012.
National Salvation Government	Second Al-Thani Cabinet	2014	2016	Break-away faction of the General National Congress which did not support the formation of the Second Al-Thani Cabinet, originally founded in September 2014. Based in Tripoli and controlled western Libya. Was recognized as the legitimate government of Libya by Turkey, Sudan, Qatar, and Ukraine. Was initially dissolved and absorbed into the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in April 2016 following the Libyan Political Agreement.
Second Al-Thani Cabinet	Government of National Accord	2016	2021	Established by the House of Representatives in September 2014 following the 2014 Libyan parliamentary election. Based in Tobruk and controlled eastern Libya. Was recognized by most countries as the legitimate government of Libya until the establishment of the Government of National Accord in March 2016 following the Libyan Political Agreement. Continued to exist in opposition to the Government of National Accord with limited international recognition until both governments merged into the Government of National Unity following the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in early 2021.
National Salvation Government	Government of National Accord	2016	2017	Break-away faction of the General National Congress which did not support the formation of the Government of National Accord following the Libyan Political Agreement. It was reestablished during an attempted coup d'état against the Government of National Accord in October 2016. However, it received no international recognition or support following the coup attempt and was again dissolved and absorbed into the Government of National Accord in March 2017.
Syrian Interim Government	Ba'athist Syria	2013	2025	Established by the Syrian National Coalition in March 2013 during the Syrian Civil War in opposition to Ba'athist Syria. Based in Azaz and administered parts of northern Syria. Was absorbed into the Syrian caretaker government in January 2025 following the Fall of the Assad regime.
Syrian Salvation Government	Ba'athist Syria	2017	2024	Established by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in November 2017 during the Syrian Civil War in opposition to Ba'athist Syria. Based in Idlib and administered parts of Idlib Governorate. Was superseded by the Syrian caretaker government in December 2024 following the Fall of the Assad regime.

Previous rival governments on a sub-national level

Government	State	Established	Disestablished	Notes
Republic of Canada	Canada	1837	1838	Proclaimed by William Lyon Mackenzie on December 5, 1837. The self-proclaimed government was established on Navy Island in the Niagara River in the latter days of the Upper Canada Rebellion.
AP Western Bosnia	Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina	1993	1995	Established by Fikret Abdić in September 1993 during the Intra-Bosnian Muslim War in opposition to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Velika Kladuša and administered parts of the Cazin. Maintained close cooperation with Republika Srpska and Republic of Serbian Krajina. Was dissolved in August 1995 following the Operation Storm offensive by Croat and Governmental forces.

Occupation zones

See also: Division of Korea, Inner German relations, and North Korea–South Korea relations

These are rival governments which were established simultaneously in the Soviet and Western occupation zones and claim sole jurisdiction over their respective region but both are recognised by the international community.

Communist	Capitalist	Established	Disestablished	Notes
Democratic Republic of Vietnam	State of Vietnam Republic of Vietnam	1945/54	1975	The DRV was declared in 1945 and the State of Vietnam was established in 1949. Vietnam was properly split after the 1954 Geneva Conference and division followed temporary military occupation zones set at the 17th parallel, with the North supported by the Soviet Union and China, and the South supported by the United States. While both were recognized by different blocs of the international community, they were never simultaneously admitted to the United Nations and claimed the exclusive mandate over Vietnam. They fought a war which ended with dissolution of South Vietnam.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea	Republic of Korea	1948	ongoing	Both were established in 1948 and claimed to the exclusive mandate over Korea. They fought a war which did not end with a peace treaty but an armistice signed in 1953. Both were accepted as members of the United Nations in 1991 with the Resolution 702 but have not established official diplomatic relationships with another. North Korea officially abandoned their goal of reuniting Korea in 2024.
German Democratic Republic	Federal Republic of Germany	1949	1990	Both were established in 1949 and claimed to the exclusive mandate over Germany. The Hallstein Doctrine prevented states which recognised East Germany to establish diplomatic relationships with West Germany. The Ostpolitik and Basic Treaty, 1972 started mutual recognition and both were accepted as members of the United Nations in 1973 with the Resolution 335. In 1974, East Germany removed their sole claim from the constitution. German reunification in 1990 under the Federal Republic of Germany.

See also

• Anti-king
• Antipope
• Colour revolution
• Dual power
• Government in exile
• List of states with limited recognition
• List of rebel groups that control territory
• Parallel state
• Provisional government
• Quasi-state
• Regime change
• Rump state
• Schism
• Shadow cabinet
• State collapse
• War of succession

References

1. Soufan (2016). "Rival Governments" (PDF). Libya, Extremism, & the Consequences of Collapse: 9–11. JSTOR   resrep10785.8.
2. "Sudan's Rival Government | Council on Foreign Relations".
3. "Myanmar's junta brands rival government a terrorist group". Reuters. 8 May 2021.
4. "Hamas' Gaza chief begins regional tour, to meet Ahmadinejad, Gulf leaders". Al Arabiya News. 30 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
5. Avnery, Uri (14 April 2011). "Israel Must Recognize Hamas' Government in Gaza". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
6. "Hamas delivers free meals to Gaza's poor". aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
7. Nasser, Afrah (18 December 2022). "'Republic of fear': A return to Yemen after 11 years". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 22 December 2022.
8. "Myanmar shadow government launches 'people's defensive war'". Al Jazeera. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
9. "Myanmar junta designates shadow government as 'terrorist' group". Deutsche Welle . 8 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
10. "NUG decides to headquarter in Sagaing". Myanmar Now (in Burmese). 14 January 2025.
11. "HEADS OF STATE HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS" (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
12. "Libya parliament suspends rival eastern-based PM Bashagha". Al Jazeera . 16 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
13. "TRT Global - Sudan paramilitary leader Hemedti declares rival government".
14. "Sudan paramilitary declares rival government two years into civil war".
15. Ynetnews (27 July 2025). "In Gaza's Rafah, rebel commander claims war already over—and offers alternative to Hamas". Ynetnews. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
16. "Mintoff shows off his 'non-aligned manhood' and threatens to break relations with Israel". archive.maltatoday.com.mt. 18 April 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2023.