NationStates Jolt Archive

Reporters from any number of news organisations may be seen this week picking up on the next third world tragedy likely to become a news fad, filmed standing before unworked farmsteads in the United African Republic of Lusaka.

Since 1980 President Derek Igomo's Social Progress Party has fought to stabilise the post colonial economy in the republic formerly Roycelandian East Africa. Each time the revolutionary war veteran's opportunist policies seemed about to drag the nation out of poverty Igomo's African Crusader persona would leap at the chance to further his international agenda. Countless military interventions against imperialism around Africa or further afield in support of his socialist backers abroad had made a rollercoaster of graphs charting Lusaka's economic history.

Recently the UARL experienced its longest ever period of economic growth, explain countless bleeding hearts as they gaze deep into camera lenses, but once again Igomo leads his people to war and crops go unharvested. The economy is down to below three thousand dollars per capita and still falling from a high several times that. Many farmers had keenly awaited new machinery to aid them in gathering larger yields. As their numbers decreased with more and more young men recruited by the Army of Lusaka it became apparent that the equipment would not be coming. Capital was invested in stockpiling aviation fuel, surface and air launched anti-aircraft missiles, and the logistical concerns pertaining to massive deployments in Gabon.

"President Igomo, for so long sustained in power by his reputation as a revolutionary hero, and a visionary for African self sufficiency, can not apparently bring himself to seek the aid his people clearly need." Says one western reporter while a lone figure rips vegetables from a vast field of dying crops, aided only by a basket and an old knife the Lusakan woman is lost in an ocean of dying plants she can't possibly manage or distribute alone.

While foreign media personnel continue to roam with reasonable freedom across the UARL, many capture images of crowded Gabon-bound troop trains pulling out of stations and of police strugling to contain crowds of disgruntled farmers in provincial towns. Cities yet show little sign of crisis, though Lusakan televisions there broadcast reports of imperialist atrocities in Gabon, and of attacks on Lusakan peace keepers by Roycelandian and other terrorists.

Lusaka attempts to protect the Republic of Gabon from United Elias and its imperialist lapdogs, crippling its own economy in the process: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=113361&highlight=

In response to both calls for aid from our fellow CACE member Cirdanistan and to help prevent this developing crisis from growing any worse, SeOCC is prepared to offer all aid that we can to the nation of Lusaka. We are prepared to ship farm machinery produced in Heliotis as well as food if necessary, and with the cooperation of Lusakan economic authorities, we can offer a wide array of developmental capital goods that will move Lusaka towards fuel, food and partial capital self sufficiency.

We hope the Lusakan authorities will accept this offer, which we note has no string attach, and allow us to work together with them to balance out the cost of combating imperialism.

Andrea Kilfrey
Vice Minister of Economics
SeOCC

A communiqué was after some deliberation in the Social Progress Party sent from New Lusaka City to the SeOCC Ministry of Economics.

The United African Republic of Lusaka humbly accepts whatsoever agricultural aid your nation's prosperity sees fit to furnish upon this corner of Africa.
The UAR is open to negotiation on potential SeOCC/Lusakan economic deals.

-Livingstone Miyanda, SPP Secretary.


Defence Secretary Colin Olongwe, friend to Igomo since the 70s and revolutionary comrade in arms to the President, was by the time of the communiqué's transmission already addressing the public. Olongwe spoke confidently of new socialist aid in
the struggle against imperialism.

Equating possible agrigultural aid directly to the war effort, the SPP hoped to appear strong and competent in both fields, avoiding admission of fault on domestic policies while pushing Igomo's crusades to the wider socialist world.

While many close to Igomo knew the man to be socialist only so far as it suited pursuit of his trew passions of African unity and self sufficiency, the President had no problem with targeting the socialist world in his pursuit of aid and alliance.

(For anyone reading with interest in Lusakan, Igomo, or SPP background this thread may be of interest: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=107437&highlight= The life and times of Derek Igomo, subsistence farmer to founding President.
Here: http://groups.msn.com/NSRalishohan/maps.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=44 is a map of Lusaka's position, clearly displaying the bordering to north and south of hostile white-dominated colonial governments, generating a perpetual need for high defence spending at the expense of development and economic stability.)

Secretary Miyanda,

We are delighted you have accepted our offer of partnership; with your permission we will dispatch a team of MoE officers to meet with your economic officials in the next few days, and will send with them whatever supplies we can organize in that time. Once the officers are on the ground they will coordinate whatever needs you have with SeOCC and, with luck, other CACE nations will begin to chip in.


Andrea Kilfrey
Vice Minister of Economics
SeOCC

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The Hague Foreign Ministry
State-secretariat of Development Affairs
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"I'm tired of discussing this issue, Maarten,” exclaimed Ruud Lubbers, Director of Development Affairs. “We have the aid, they need the aid. We should help them.”
Maarten Gijsbert put up some resistance: “But Sir, they just spent their money on weapons. And need I remind you that SeOCC just offered them help?”
"People will die if the situation isn’t remedied. History or not, and I know that Mr. Igomo likes to intervene wherever he can. He has done much good for the region that way. I do not see our troops going after all those bastards that call themselves head of state nowadays.”
“But…”
“And, well, if they refuse for ideological reasons then at least we will have tried. Message: we care."
“But..:”
“Hey, we aren’t the Resi Corporation. Even if we haven’t got socialist in our name we spent more on aid then anyone else. And I do hope that our participation in the Developing Nations conference AND the Directorate of Compassionate Relief AND donating HUGE sums of aid to all kinds of projects makes up for something.”
“Yes, Sir, I don’t question that. But the SeOCC imperialists will spread…”
“… damn them. Aperin can’t feed ALL those people immediately. They had food problems in the past themselves. And we burn food, remember? Burn it.” The man was in his rhetorical element.

“Yes, Sir.” Maarten bowed his head, convinced by the arguments of his boss. Rationally, it made perfect sense.

The following day, New Lusaka City got another letter, from the Directorate of Development Affairs this time.


To: Livingstone Miyanda, SPP Secretary.
Subject: aid

Dear Secretary Miyanda,

Word has reached us about your countries agricultural situation. The Knootian government has set as its goal to aid other nations where needed, and to that end we have reserved considerable funds. We would like to express our solidarity with the people of Lusaka and help where this is needed.

We believe that in aid, the needs of the receiving partner and not the donor should be central. Therefore we would like to meet with a delegation from your nation to discuss what we can do for you.
We can imagine that you could use agricultural tools, and perhaps even some food to provide for immediate needs. If capital investment is required this can also be arranged. If you would like a more long-term involvement this is also an option. I assure you, Knootian aid does not have to disappear when the camera’s are gone.

Yours faithfully,

Director Ruud Lubbers
Development Affairs

Haaregradia has authorized a three step program to assist the farmers in our long-time ally, Lusaka.

Firstly, we have passed a funding bill to donate cash and vouchers from Haaregradian auto manufacturers to assist in the purchasing of Haaregradian or Lusakan made farm equipment.

Secondly we have begun a program of buying back old farm equipment from our own farmers and donating it to the people of Lusaka.

Lastly the Pan-Haaregradian Armed Forces is donating over a thousand heavy trucks, tractors and other vehicles to the cause.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish and he still needs a rod and a reel. These people know how to fish, now here's the equipment needed.

-President V. Lenin III

((semi-IC note because I don't really have thousands of people running around in my minstry trying to check things with all the other countries. I wouldn't mind working together on Soviet Haaregrad's plan if the Lusaka government wishes it. After all, Haaregrad and Knootoss are good trading partners if I recall. :) ))

The Serene Socialist Republic of Xikuang is prepared to place our surplus food stores at the disposal of the people of Lusaka, and we can, if this is desirable, construct and staff distribution facilities. We can also provide immediate support for basic necessities and community infrastructure such as potable water, medical care, and education, such as often suffer in times of famine. If it is possible, we would wish to work directly with stricken communities or their representatives, so as to assess what kind of assistance is most needed where, in order to provide maximally beneficial assistance to the people.

Xikuang is a net importer of food, and our surplus stocks are limited. However, we can provide transportation of resources from other nations to Lusaka at no cost.

The plight of the people of Lusaka moves us deeply. We are prepared to immediately dispatch rice to the UARL. A fundraising drive has been launched by non-governmental organizations to pay for further emergency relief supplies.

We are also calling on the Third World Development Pool to make the maximum loan permissible under its charter -- ten per cent of total pool capital, interest-free for fifteen years. We have written to the other memebrs of the pool's board and hope that the funds may be offered to Lusaka shortly.

Violeta Bi Bere
People's representative for foreign affairs & human rights

(ooc: development pool is from the third world summit a while back,declaration on the final page of archived thread at http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80768&start=400 )

The Grand Duchy of Hell Bovines is deeply touched by the problems the great nation of Lusaka is going through and so, in an act of friendship, we are will dispatch food in the form of tropical fruits and lettuce.
We will also send, as a gift of course, stone and other materials for the building of shelters and infraestructure.

Finally, as Hell Bovines is also a member of the Third World Development Pool Board, we vote in favour to the proposition made by Tanah Burung, so that economic aid can be received by Lusaka.

We deeply hope this crisis can be resolved as soon as possible.
Best wishes,

Saturnino Vacuno, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Ecotopian Grand Duchy of Hell Bovines

We see, now, that all we have said has proven correct. However, we are merciful.

With the permission of the Lusakan government, the Principality will send in food aid, along with skilled farmers from Altara for training purposes.

God be with you.

~Ministry of Foriegn Affairs and Trade
Most Holy Principality of Roania

Edmond Bookman was quite rudely awoken by the ringing of a telephone. His first thought was that this must be some sort of mistake, or else a cruel joke; after all, in all the years he had been Iansisle’s representative to the Third World Pool, no one had ever called!

He was so impressed with the sudden attention relished upon his that he was quite ready to promise them anything!

As far as His Majesty’s Government was concerned, which apparently wasn’t all that much from Mr. Bookman’s attitud, Lusaka was a perfectly worthy candidate for a loan from the Pool’s funds. Iansisle would lend her support.

Message to Lusaka

Roycelandia and the Imperial Colony of Roycelandian East Africa are mortified to hear of the difficulties our Neighbours in Lusaka are facing with the failure of the crop.

Imperialist we may be, but we are not heartless, and accordingly wish to offer you our fullest assistance in this time of need.

We are prepared to offer, at no cost, 50,000 tonnes of Rice, Wheat, Fruit, and Meat from our own thriving Agricultural Industry in Roycelandian East Africa to our Lusakan neighbours, along with any Medical and Technical assistance they may require.

[signed] His Imperial Majesty Emperor Royce I

************************************

Port Imperial, Roycelandian East Africa

There was no doubt about it... The Colonial Guard were secretly selling black-market MREs to starving Lusakans, both from the CRRF and the border with Lusaka. God only knew what was going on in Bukova province, but at this stage he figured he should turn a blind eye to the situation... at least until Lusaka's Allies started assistance programs, then they would all have to be very careful...

(ooc: that's a majority vote for the never-before-used development pool to offer you an interest-free loan if you want it, Lusaka)

Larkinia would also vote in favor of the Tanah Burungian measure to give support to Lusaka in their time of dire need. In addition, the Principality will send shipments of food aid, cash grants and farming equipment to Lusaka to rebuild with.

The peoples of Sacco and Vanzetti will use three of our five transport planes to fly in continuous supplies of dried fish powder for the duration of the current crisis.

We urge the peoples of Lusaka to consider options for long-term resolution of this issue through either CACE or IFTA, details of which can be found here:

CACE and IFTA (http://invisionfree.com/forums/CACE/index.php?)

Xikuang also approves the offer of the maximum 15-year interest-free loan to Lusaka from the Matebian third world development pool.

"I would suggest that all the countries offering aid cooperate in a single programme in order to be more effective."
~Random civil servant in Development Affairs

(ooc:Gosh, I wasn't expecting such a large reaction- I suppose it is true that most people on Nation States prefer to play power than failure.
It'd be tempting to say that once we start accepting and receiving all this aid the problem would vanish, as it is.. a lot! But, Lusaka's population is greater than that of all Africa in reality, so famine threatening us is -when you consider that some parts of Africa in reality are fine for food- a greater problem than all African famine combined, and as such a massive problem.)

New Lusaka City*

"It's about time we had some good news."

Miyanda's astute observation earned him a grunt of recognition from the reclining President.

"I don't know about this offer from the Roiks, though." He added, adopting the derogatory form of Roycelandians that had arrived with anti-imperial forces from Beth Gellert.

"Indeed." Started President Igomo, swinging his bad leg from atop his desk as he sat purposefully upright. “Most of the rest, certainly Haaredgradian aid, and even Xikuang distribution centres and Bovinian construction materials, can be presented as if aid to the war effort. But we’re in this situation precisely because of the war effort against the likes of the.. Roiks?” Igomo ended, realising he was unfamiliar with the term.

Shrugging he added, “If all goes well the cities need never know there was a problem.”

“What of the Roanians?” The crane-like Secretary asked, lurching up from his seat in preparedness for his departure. “Do we really want them on the ground amongst pagans and Muslims?”

The President waved Mianda out with yet another less than concise vocalisation.

Shortly most of the concerned parties received respectfully worded communiqués from the United African Republic announcing glad acceptance of their food and mechanical aid. Soviet flags went out on Haaregradia Street on the island of Zanzibar, and though the general population wasn’t entirely sure why they had nothing against the move.
Knootoss was told that Lusaka would be glad to discuss receipt of any tools that may reduce man-hours needed to gather assorted crops, though there was no mention from the cautious socialist government of much beyond that.
Xikuang was made welcome to construct distribution centres and to send medical staff or goods –the SPP didn’t object to creating a siege mentality in the Republic, and wounded were returning on every train sent to Gabon, so freeing-up hospital space was of major significance.
As for the proposed interest-free loan, and the Republic was prepared to host foreign delegates or to dispatch Secretary Miyanda himself to discuss the matter.

Roania and Roycelandia received only silence. For now Igomo was delaying, and the Secretary rather hoped that those two nations would put such down to the current strains put on the Republic, or else pass it off as socialist or African incompetence rather than as an insult.


*For the record, NLC (often called "City") is not the city of Lusaka as featured in such nations as Tanzania, and well, that's it really, rather it is a new development built after the revolution of the late 70s (largely with Hrstrovokian cash and Haaregradian machines running on Haaregradian fuel). It lies south of Mbeya quite near to the Nyasaland border (around the Zambia/Tanzania/Malawi borders IRL). The city of Lusaka is now called either Old Lusaka or simply Lusaka City, and has a host of nicknames associated with the revolution and the folly of Roycelandian efforts to defend it.

The message received by the Lusakan government from Xikuang was encouraging: yes, physicians, medical technicians, equipment, and supplies could immediately be made available to Lusaka, and the Xikuangese were already seeking to buy surplus food from IFTA trade partners to help relieve the hungry. A host of co-ordinators arrived even before the first supply transports, dispersing into communities to work directly with the people, establishing with them what their first and foremost needs would be, so as to maximise the effectiveness of the assistance offered in helping the people affected by tragedy. Wherever possible they will work through established venues, working to strengthen the Lusakan community infrastructure rather than impose a foreign one, and the involvement of local people is always sought.

OOC: Just to let everyone know, Lusaka is a former part of Roycelandian East Africa, which fought and won a War of Independence in the very late '70s (There are several thread which cover some of the history behind this). To cut a very long story short, Lusaka won, Roycelandia withdrew, although Kenya, Uganda, and The Sudan collapsed into Anarchy and never became part of Lusaka.

Not all that long ago, Roycelandia came back under the guise of assisting with Anti-Communist operations in The African Commonwealth.

Roycelandia tried establishing a small colony in the area (much like Hong Kong), but international pressure (and the thought of thousands of Lusakan troops overrunning the place) caused a relocation to the north, re-establishing Roycelandian East Africa in the area encompassing Kenya, The Sudan, and Uganda, which had a large White population who were very pleased to see Roycelandia's return...

There is a map of Southern Africa here: http://groups.msn.com/NSRalishohan/maps.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=44

IC: Port Royal, Roycelandia

"No reply yet from Lusaka, Sir."

"I'm really not surprised. Something probably broke down,or someone stole parts from their communications equipment again. They'll respond soon. They need our food. Ah, the Irony...

Near Bukova Province, Lusakan/AC/REA border

Late at night, a Deuce-And-A-Half truck pulled to a stop by the side of a road just inside the province. Two Colonial Guard climbed out of the cab, rifles at the ready.

"Hakuna Matata!" called an African voice from the darkness.

"No Worries!" one of the Colonial Guard replied.

A tall African in DPMs stepped out of the Forest, an AK-47 over his shoulder. "My friends, it good to see you. You are well?" he spoke in heavily accented English.

"We are very well, Ndolo. The roads here get worse every week, I'm sure of it."

"Well, the rains, come and make road mud, then the sun dries them, and they are full of holes. Maybe if someone took charge, we could fix things."

"Maybe, Ndolo, maybe. But for now, we have something for you."

"Excellent, My friends... may I see?"

The two Colonial Guard showed Ndolo the back of the truck, piled high with MREs, 44 Gallon Drums of water, sacks of rice, wheat, even a couple of live pigs, heavily sedated.

"Excellent, friends, you have helped my people again. We have a small token of our esteem for you."

Ndolo produced a small satchel, and opened it in the beam of the truck's headlights.

"Very nice, Ndolo. Uncut, as usual. Your source has impeccable quality, and I'm sure we can do business again. You know where to reach us when you're ready."

"Of course, Lt. Smythe. Go in peace."

"You too, Ndolo. Take it easy."

"Rest assured, I shall. Have a pleasant trip home."

And with that, Ndolo melted back into the Jungle, and the two Colonial Guard climbed back into their truck and drove back into REA.