Myanmar’s junta is on the verge of losing control over another important part of the country to a rebel army-this time in a state bordering Bangladesh, International Crisis Group has said.

The group disclosed this on Tuesday in its official report.

According to the group, the Arakan Army had seized most of the Central and Northern Rakhine State, on Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh and on the verge of expelling the military.

The group explained that the Arakan Army that was founded in 2009 has long been fighting for greater autonomy for Rakhine State, formerly Arakan State, on the west coast of the country.

Also, since the Arakan Army restarted its fight for Rakhine State in late 2023 it started to carve out a proto-state of more than million people on the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

“When the dust settles, the Arakan Army will likely emerge as Rakhine State’s de facto governing authority and outside actors will have to decide how and whether to engage with it,” the group stated.

The group is regarded as one of the most important rebel groups in the crisis-hit nation and is supported by large sections of the Buddhist majority in the region.

(dpa)