NationStates Jolt Archive

National hero since the anti-Roycelandian revolution of the late 1970s, President of the United African Republic since its official recognition in 1980, Derek Igomo (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/igomo.jpg) has today been finally felled as the nation’s leading political force.

Confined -by a second stroke- to a wheelchair, President Derek Igomo (known to his people as, “Mr.Derek” ) has lately struggled to cope with the pressures of leadership. The protection of the Republic of Gabon from imperialist states United Elias and Roycelandia, the ever-present AIDS menace in his nation, an infamously erratic economy, invasion by neighbouring Arab state Al Khals, and most recently the renewed ethnic tensions between Lusaka’s white, Arab, and native African populations have become more than the unhealthy icon can handle. While on a state visit to the UK after successfully negotiating the sale of Hawk LIFT and Canberra photographic reconnaissance jets, the sickly President –wheelchair bound after a second stroke- was informed of a coup in his homeland.

General Theodore (Theo) Tendyala, the Army’s most promising and renowned young leader, veteran of the Lumbosan Crisis, the Gabonaise Intervention, and more recently the anti-Al Khali battle of Mbeya, has been proclaimed president of the United African Republic.

Tendyala promises to take a more firm and clear line against the imperialists surrounding Lusaka, and some critics abroad have accused the obviously intelligent and talented young African General of near xenophobia and racism. Reports of clashes between white populations descended from Roycelandian colonials and government forces have increased ten fold since Igomo departed for the UK.

Igomo’s Social Progress Party had established a policy of land reform that took property from white landowners and handed it to black subsistence farmers and state-subsidised Zanzibar Arab commercial farmers. The white minority under Igomo was treated as if any other part of the population, a standard poorly received in Roycelandia and amongst many white Lusakans. Under Tendyala it seems that, “The whining imperialists and their colonial lapdogs will be given no further quarter, and finally will feel what it means to be oppressed as we [native Lusakans] have been for centuries” according to one Lusakan policeman interviewed by foreign journalists.

It does appear to be a belief commonly held in Lusaka. The colonial population is widely seen to have behaved as if entitled to a high standard of living regardless of the state of the national economy or the suffering of the black majority. Igomo tried to spread the wealth in a fashion that won Lusaka many socialist allies, but it appears that Tendyala –and his apparently majority support- feel that this even handed and fair approach has achieved little in real terms.

In the opinion of one foreign journalist, the developed world has neglected, ignored, and abused ordinary Lusakans such that they have ceased demanding ordinary justice long denied them and sought to steal the crown itself. Perhaps the first world shall yet come to recognise the value of men like Derek Igomo, of whom were made enemies where friends were in prospect.

General Tendyala has already proclaimed a victory for Africa, and state TV is broadcasting images from what has long been known as the Congo River Research Facility. This tiny enclave of Roycelandian authority in the middle of otherwise independent Lusaka is now seen crawling with Lusakan soldiers, apparently engaged in celebration and the fighting of what appears to be a facility-wide fire.

(Further information leading up to the power-change may be found here (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=353854)
and here (http://groups.msn.com/NSRalishohan/maps.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=66 ) is a map of the region, with the small number 1 indicating the Congo River Research Facility...located not very close to the Congo River. [shrug] that's the Roiks for you ;) )

OOC: I know this post isn't really the pint of the thread, I just felt that my nation needed to be taken down a peg or two and this might be a rather interesting moment to do it.


IC:

Northern Entrance to The Pemba channel, 25 Miles North of Pemba Island

Sea water sprayed the bow of ENS Euphrates as it lurched forward at considerable pace given the sea state, on as southerly heading, closing on Tanga and the Lusakan mainland. The Tigris class guided missile destroyer offically on a 'Freedom of Navigation' exercise, in other words to see how close it could get to Lusaka without provoking a response. The vessel differed slightly from its usual configuration, as the trained eye would notice that one of the two helicopter hangars had been taken up with what appeared to be a maritime cargo container, in actual fact housing a signals intelligence centre, complete with recievers, computer consoles and a few dedicated trained operators who the crew were ordered to stay away from.

In the wardroom, the officers not on watch enjoyed a leisurely dinner as dusk approached, The Captain presiding from the head of the table as the audio system played the strains of Strauss's 'Blue Danube', all ambivalent to the obvious dangers of their position. A few of the more junior officers started to talk, the effects of excessive wine already starting to set in.

"So do you think we'll spook these savages?"

"If they notice us, but what they going to do about it? I mean their country is having a revolution by the sounds of it, actually it sounds like it would be a most opportune time to march in, would one agree?"

"Quite, just what they need, those Roiks really do deserve their colony back."

A creak followed by a larger thump reverberated through the ship and suddenly an alarming sense of deacceleration as crockery started to fly. Less than a second later the lights extingushed and the emergency lights came on. Before anyone spoke or moved a matter of fact voice came over the crew address system, "Captain lay to the bridge please."

Without words, the officers rose and exited the wardroom still unsure as to the situation, the Captain having left first, quickly reported to the bridge to be told by his Executive Officer that the ship had run aground over twenty miles from land on an 'uncharted reef'.

A damage control Party searched the ship not only to find minor damage and some flooding in a few forward compartments, but to discover that the ship was indeed stuck on said reef, and when the engineers attempted to reverse the shafts to back the ship off it, this merely caused more buffeting and shaking with no noticeable impact to refloat the vessel.

After an hour the decision was taken by The Captain to send a message to COM-INDIO reporting that he had managed to beach his destroyer practically within visual sight of a semi-hostlie nation, not exactly a career booster. Almost immediately several ships diverted towards the Euhprates but were a minimum of twelve hours away. It now seemed that the Lusakans would likely get there first, which could be a rather awkward diplomatic situation to say the least.

Tanga

“Man, your console is at it again.”
“Yeah, it’s been doing that for an hour... the thing out there stopped moving twenty minutes ago, it’s not coming any closer.”
“Are you ous still talking about that? We need another man to make-up the numbers... who’s best with the bat?”
“Him, I can’t be arsed.”
“Okay, you’re eleventh man, we only need six more runs.”
“Cool.”

It was almost two hours before anybody competent or interested learned of the unidentified and highly suspicious contact off Lusaka’s coast. When he did, Defence Secretary Olongwe, who happened to have nothing better to do until his dealer got off his arse and showed-up, was initially inclined to have whatever it was used for (much needed) target practice. What did he care if the new regime suffered an international backlash? He happened to like the way things were before.

Instead, a measure of sense having shown itself, the Lusakan Navy, such as it was called, sent up a Beth Gellen Savov Preston ASWAP. A fixed-wing maritime patrol aircraft powered by two piston engines, its little frame crammed full of software, hardware, and Lusakans, the plane represented several percent of the navy’s total strength as it took-off with surveillance equipment, bombs, 305mm BG torpedoes, and a pair of U-Darter short-range air-to-air missiles.

Almost three hours after the UE vessel ran-aground it was finally over-flown and information relayed to authorities with an actual interest in the security of the United African Republic.

A fairly ordinary, “who the hell are you and why are you sitting there?” message was sent for the UE vessel’s attention, and the two score or so hands associated with the sailing of one of Lusaka’s three operational corvettes were given a severe prodding.

IRNS Tinfish, off the coast of Lusaka

It wasn't widely known that Roycelandia had Submarines- not exactly a secret, per se, just not something that was widely advertised.

Such a lack of publicity was useful for times like these, when, engaging in a clandestine weapons drop on the coast of Lusaka, the Tinfish picked up the message from the Elian ship.

The ship was at least four hours away, but under the International Law of the Sea, they were obliged to help- diplomatic incidents be damned.

The captain of the Tinfish sent a message to the Captain of the Elian vessel, identifying himself and asking if he could be of any further assistance in the matter.

Meanwhile, in Port Imperial, the IIS was digesting news of the Lusakan Regime change, and discussing the political implications thereof...

City-Harare talks, “progressing well”

The newly appointed President of the United African Republic of Lusaka General Theodore Tendyala has already entertained his first state visitors, having been seen greeting Zimbabwean officials just days after taking office.

During Igomo’s Presidency, Lusaka and its southern neighbour did not often see eye to eye, even after the long-overdue collapse of the colonial regime in Salisbury and the creation of the Republic of Zimbabwe. This was in no small part due to the SPP’s desire to avoid further alienating its white minority and the associated foreign ties by seeming to support ZPF’s controversial and brutal land reforms in Zimbabwe.

Tendyala has apparently been able to put these concerns to one side having enacted fairly similar (if economically less insane) reforms in Lusaka, and is reported to be planning a trip to Harare and a personal meeting with President Mugabe, to be arranged once the General is sure of stability at home and the security of his new political post.

Note: In Sub Saharan Africa, several players are active, but a large number of nations remain none player controlled.

Analysing the situation in southern Africa, one foreign-based observer suggested that much as the African Commonwealth has a history of interaction and of heavy interest and involvement in Angola, so Lusaka plans to boost its influence in increasingly like-minded Zimbabwe. This is also true for Zambia, half of which is included in the UARL while the west remains its own small, sparsely populated, cripplingly poor Republic. These aren’t attempts at land-grabbing by Lusaka, but this all represents a movement to carve-out a sort of Lusakan sphere of influence in response to apparently ceaseless Commonwealth expansion efforts and on-going 1st world imperialism in the region. West Zambia is seen almost as a protectorate, unable to provide for its own defence or even survival as a state, and it appears that Tendyala may regard Zimbabwe as a possible junior partner in some manner of African nationalist alliance.

25 Miles North of Pemba Island

The crew of Euphrates had worked frantically since the incident to devise a solution that would get the ship of the reef in one piece without a massive salvage operation. In the end it would be simple, the ship would de-ballast thus raising its position in the water and hopefully it would just float off. The only problem as that in order to do this all of the ship's extensive fuel tanks would have to be emptied into the surrounding ocean, giving them very little left to steam out of the area. Therefore they would have to await the nearest ship, a frigate, to setup a tow line.

With the process of de-ballasting started, the Combat Information Centre tracked an incoming Lusakan aircraft, the reply to its message was simple, "We are an Elias Naval Vessel sailing in international waters (we recpnginse only the usual 12nm territorial limits even if you claim more) and we will defend ourselves if attacked." The only part was that the ship was far from sailing. In any case the Sea Javelin SAM system was ready to lock on at a moment's notice and so far all of the ship's systems were fully functioning.

A reply was sent to the Roycelandian submarine, more or less a 'thanks but we're perfectly fine' type message, after all it was easier to avoid embarrasment.

On Board the IRNS Tinfish

"Skip, they're saying thanks but no thanks. They would prefer to avoid embarrasing anyone further or dragging us into it"

"Jolly decent of them. Well, I suppose we should head back to Enfield Harbour to re-supply and so on..."

Port Imperial, Roycelandian East Africa

"I can see this General chap could cause problems for us" Governor-General Fry said aloud. "Find out some more about him. I'm sure he has some weak points or dodgy dealings in his past."

"'...if the Roiks really meant it, they would pay to replace the Triumf missile we had to expend in intercepting their shoddy rogue technology.'

"In other, much more important news that really ought to have headlined, the Lusakan Revolutionary Alliance Corps has at last crossed the mighty Rufiji! General Tendyala's brave Army soldiers fighting at Mbeya have successfully delayed the Al Khali Republican Guard for long enough to see bridges repaired in spite of Al Khali bombing. We are being told that feints by much larger Army units along the river's great extent were sufficient to draw the technologically superior but numerically lacking enemy air force into attacking the wrong crossing sites while the LRAC crossed far northeast and began today driving down the coast towards the Al Khali border.

"Mr.Derek had said that once Lusakan forces crossed the barrier of the Rufiji in strength, City would seek negotiation with Via'di'arl from a favourable posture. General Tendyala has given no indication to such an end, and we ask Lusakans to do everything they can to contribute to the war effort and the drive into the Al Khali oil fields. We ask you, if nothing else, to will your countrymen on to victory. As an absent wise man once said, a prayer's as good as a bayonet on a day like this!"

This is just a final bump to let as many people as possible know of the historic upheaval. I think that I shall be able to cover in the other thread most of what's going on ( http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=353854&page=1&pp=15 ).