AK47 Day 2021 - News from uMbongo

[Smiley Miley 66]

I think you will find Vegan Enterprises owns a lot of the Country ?
Miles

[Big Mike]

There are plans afoot to protect our investments, Miles.
A Swiss bank account has been newly opened and the 50% down-payment  has been confirmed as received. Nothing can stop us now.......?
Mike

[Smiley Miley 66]

I hear the rebels are in-sighting the local villagers of small holdings and some townships, I do believe these factions are trying to make them up rise as their puppets to over throw the country and put it into Civil war...
Except at the dock and seaport areas as Vegan Enterprise has bought into the container port and the ship scrapping areas, and a couple of the Large Commercial Airports in country have financial backing of You guessed it Vegan Enterprise? The fruits of the companies developments (quite literally the Fruit and Vegetable's being grown on 'Our' financially backed farms needs to go to the "New" European Common Market....
We need to get our Mining projects started soon, raw materials are needed for this "new" electronic and Digital age that's coming, and thru Vegan Enterprise we can re-invest in this great country ?
Still awaiting to hear from the news agencies
Miles

[Smoking gun]

News filed by photo journalist Duncan Macfarlane show UN peacekeeping forces occupying the city, seaport, rail head and airport at Toombe.

UN spokesman and local force commander Colonel Steve Walker said "We are here to help provide a safe haven and humanitarian aid for refugees from the troubled country of uMbongo. Additionally we are looking to interrupt the flow of illicit arms to the factions jockeying for position because of the power vacuum at the heart of uMbongo government."

He went on say that "The activity of the Free uMbongo Army made up of exiles from the mining and mineral extraction areas is a cause of concern. We are looking into the source of their funding, currently, believed to be the uMbongo Mine Workers Pension and Welfare Fund."









Duncan's next report is expected to be from a Free uMbongo Army training camp near the border.

(Photo's taken by Duncan Macfarlane and published in the November 1999 issue no: 146 of Wargames Illustrated. The late Steve Walker helped with the game and some of his models are in the photos. Best wishes Martin Buck)

[Colonel Kilgore]

What a wonderful piece of photo-journalism.

Duncan must have had access to a (non-weaponised?) drone, or else he chanced his arm (and everything else) and went up in a locally-maintained helicopter to grab these exclusive military hardware shots. A great scoop!

Simon

[Smoking gun]

Hi Simon,
No need for a drone or helicopter, a hike up the nearby mountain and a very long lens is all you need.

Best wishes,
Martin Buck

[Sean Clark]

Blimey, those pictures take me back. I loved that article in WI. I studied each photo carefully for ideas I could nick!

[Smoking gun]

Blimey, those pictures take me back. I loved that article in WI. I studied each photo carefully for ideas I could nick!

Hi Sean,
I have added a footnote to my original post giving the dates etc, of the photo session and publication. Thank you for your comments.

Best wishes,
Martin Buck

[Colonel Kilgore]

Newsbite from Logosia

In an increasingly volatile region, increasingly wiild rumours abound and hard facts are difficult to come by. Le Figaro's reporter on the ground is said to be compiling a definitive dossier on the politico-economic and military situation in Logosia, the pertinent elements of which will be shared here as soon as they become available (likely via old-fashioned microfilm and a slow boat, to avoid the risks of interception over the internet).

Meanwhile, Le Canard enchaîné ran a short article this week on "Papa Whisky"'s favourite pets. He is now said often to be accompanied on official business by a reptile that he has himself raised from its egg, and which - along with much of the population of Logosia itself - looks upon him as a father figure.

With a nod to his francophone connections, Papa Whisky has (rather crudely, in the view of the chattering classes) named his companion "Monsieur Croque". While mostly well behaved in the presence of his master, the animal in question has been known to dash after small dogs and goats while Papa Whisky is elsewhere engaged. In one tragic incident, a small child is understood to have gone missing.

Children being children, the street urchins in the capital, Bea-d'en-ville, have re-worked their traditional game of "catch", now accompanied by a little ditty:

Gentil Monsieur Crocodile
Soyez sage - laisse'-moi tranquille

(which roughly translates as: "Nice mister crocodile, please be good - and leave me in peace")

Monsieur Croque has been adopted as the official mascot of the Presidential Guard while - in a country with a strong history of witchcraft - his species is starting to enjoy an almost cult-like status among the rural population.



Translations and editorial comment by Simon

[Big Mike]

Sean,
The Sunday Telegraph has published some grainy photos of a mercenary force including mostly British ex-servicemen, training in an undisclosed location in Africa. Foreign Office officials have declined to comment but the report states they are in a neighbouring country ready to move across the border into uMbongo.
The Defence Minister of the host country Col. Piet ("Duchy") Van Leer, has issued a statement;
"The safety of our people working in uMbongo is a growing concern for us. As that nations government has failed to provide stability we are not ruling out a limited action to secure our interests. I have today ordered reservist units of the Loyal Victoria Rifles to report to their barracks near the border."
He brushed aside questions about his countries human rights violations and the presence of "British" mercenaries.
Mike

[Sean Clark]

uMbongo has an excellent line in fruit teas. In fact we have a warehouse full.

If Col Van Leer would like to talk about a trade deal to keep the relationship on an amicable basis, our door is always open.

Which brings my on to the load of old croque coming in from Logosia. Those pesky Logosians think they can rattle their sabres and man eating reptiles and scare the people of Mbongo out of ensuring the democratic process is followed at election time.

Well, for every man eating crocodile, Mbongo will raise you a even larger, even deadlier tiger. Just as soon as we can find one.

[Smoking gun]

Crime wave in Darrar Province
There has been ten fold increase in lorry and truck hijackings and thefts police report. These crimes have been concentrated in an area close to the Mombaka border. Many of the hijackings have occurred at fake military or police checkpoints and the thefts have taken place from lorry parks at drivers rest stops or cafes. Police are warning drivers to be vigilant and to secure their vehicles when left unattended. When questioned about possible involvement the Free uMbongo Army police chief D. Heathcote said "While it is known that the FMA have camps in Mombaka we have no reason to link these thefts and hijackings to them."

Martin Buck

[Colonel Kilgore]

Logosia Dossier

Hard news of the current situation in Logosia remains sparse, while the long-anticipated photographs appear to have been further delayed - or perhaps intercepted - en route.

Drawing on past news stories within various publications, the CIA website and first-hand reports from refugees, I have managed to assemble the following information on 'Papa Whisky' and his forces.

As mentioned previously, Logosia has maintained sometimes strained but broadly good relationships with France. It has received intermittent supplies of military hardware - mostly AFVs, which are said to be well maintained. A French middleman is rumoured to have acted as broker (the term "arms dealer" does have such negative connotations nowadays...) in the recent procurement of some powerful rotary-wing aircraft, apparently sourced in Italy.

Papa Whisky has also benefitted from Soviet largesse, as the communist regime has courted favour in the region. His armed forces can call on a park of T55 tanks, as well as anti-aircraft guns and a significant number of heavy weapons.

However, the bulk of Logosian armies has traditionally been formed from tribal militias. Three main groups have been seen in recent parades.

'Les Enfants du Joujou' have strong mystical beliefs in natural magic, and particularly in the mind-expanding properties of the ju-ju berry. They are fanatical fighters when appropriately motivated.

The Za'pwal is a minority Logosian tribe. When they go to war, they dye their hair and have a tendancy to strip off all Western clothes.

In contrast, the 'Z-Boys' are more a gang than a tribe, having embraced all things Western and particularly American. They can be slow to motivate but can fight well enough, especially when they outnumber their enemies.

The Logosian army also includes a small number of regular units, organised on Western lines. Those units mostly seen in front-line locations are Bataillon 47 and Bataillon 56. They are said to have received training from the French army, and indeed it is said that former members of the Foreign Legion have been financially incentivised to join their ranks as senior NCOs.

The Presidential Guard is an elite unit, identified by its blue berets - worn both on the parade ground and in action. Few details are known about their recruitment or training regime, which is however said to be particularly brutal.

I am hopeful that some photos of these units may emerge in the coming weeks.

Simon

[Jimmy James]

MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE BORDER IN ZUMO... (1)


*FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE SERIES "FOCUS ON AFRICA"*



THE REPUBLIC OF ZUMO - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE


The Republic of Zumo is the successor state to the British Zumo Colony. Sporadic European and Arab presence in parts of modern-day Zumo can be traced back to the Early Modern period, but European exploration of the interior began in earnest in the 19th century.

Britain established the Trans-Zumo Protectorate, an area analogous with approximately the northern three-quarters of modern-day Zumo, in 1892. In 1899 the German Empire established the colony of Süd-Zumoland, a colony spanning the geographical area of the modern-day Hatzbrohe Province as well as much of Southern and Umbongo Provinces. During the First World War however, many German territories in Africa were invaded and occupied by the colonial forces of the Allied Powers, and Süd-Zumoland was no exception. In 1919 Süd-Zumoland was transferred from German control by the League of Nations and granted to the British Empire.




German colonial soldiers in Hatzbrohe, early 20th century


In 1921 the Trans-Zumo Protectorate and the former Süd-Zumoland were formally combined into a single colony, known as the Zumo Colony. The borders of this new colony were very largely similar to those of the modern-day Zumo (a landlocked nation, Zumo is bordered by Sudan to the north and west, South Sudan to the west, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya to the south, Ethiopia to the east and Eritrea to the extreme north-east).

British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's famous "Wind of Change" speech in South Africa in February 1960 signalled a significant change in colonial policy, with the intention to peacefully and sustainably withdraw and decolonise. However the pace and effect of decolonisation in Africa in the early 1960s alarmed a significant proportion of the Zumo Colony's white population, and as a result although independence was granted, the new state was not founded until 30th June 1970, considerably later than other former British colonies.




Harold Macmillan delivers his "Wind of Change" speech to the South African Parliament


The new state was constitutionally formed as a Republic inside the British Commonwealth, and governed by a single-chamber parliament, the Zumo Grand Assembly of Deputies. Elected Deputies of the Grand Assembly in turn determine who is the President of Zumo, serving as joint head of state and head of government. Politically, Zumo has a multi-party system with one traditionally dominant political party, the Campaign Alliance, although a number of other smaller and regional parties are also represented in the Grand Assembly and some have on occasion joined with the Campaign Alliance to form government coalitions following inconclusive General Election results.

The Campaign Alliance was founded by white farmers and landowners in the mid-1960s, initially as a loose political and campaign grouping which sought to ensure that the rights of the white population would not be diminished following the colony's inevitable independence (with some success - Zumo's white population, which has grown to around 2,000,000, continues to dominate the country's politics and economy, though it has never made up more than around 10% of the total population). Since independence, the Campaign Alliance has developed into a formal political party with a formidable campaign machine; a traditional-style liberal party, it has tended not to get involved with factional or race-based politics, seeking to attract support from the majority black electorate as well as its historic core white constituency. This has enabled the Campaign Alliance to enjoy huge support in the country with the result that, whether as senior partner in a coalition government or as a single majority-party government, the Campaign Alliance has governed Zumo for an unbroken period ever since independence.

The current President of Zumo is the veteran Bernard Dairey, a qualified geologist with a distinguished career in the mineral extraction industry and who served on the colonial-era Trans-Zumo Mines Board before being elected to the Zumo Grand Assembly, representing the Fort Elizabeth parliamentary constituency, in the 1970 General Election.




The Honourable Bernard Dairey CMG FGS, President of the Republic of Zumo


Zumo has developed a successful economy largely dependent on agriculture, manufacturing and mining. Its largest exports have traditionally been "the three 'T's" - timber, tobacco and tea - as well as rare metals and potash, although recently viable oil and gas reserves have been discovered in its Western Province. Modern-day Zumo is a rapidly-developing state, growing in confidence and becoming more advanced and prosperous by the day. With new enterprises springing up and trade deals being negotiated with China and Germany, as well as the traditional industries of the young nation, the peaceful and stable nation of Zumo is clearly on the cusp of a promising future as it looks to its imminent General Election.

[Jimmy James]

MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE BORDER IN ZUMO... (2)


*Transcript of chat show interview – Bob Harding's talkHARD with General Stevo Leeroy*





BH: Good evening, welcome to talkHARD with me, Bob Harding. Tonight on talkHARD, it's Field Marshal of the Campaign Alliance, General Stevo Leeroy. Good evening General.

SL Good evening Bob, but can I just start with something; you introduced me as the Field Marshal of the Campaign Alliance -

BH: - oh, apologies General -

SL: - and I think it's important to make clear, as ever. The Campaign Alliance and the Campaign Alliance Levy are not the same at all! Around the same time as the Campaign Alliance was founded, in the mid-60s, it was felt that there should be some sort of defence force put together to protect farmers and landowners in the event that independence went – well, in the event that there was some sort of widespread disturbance and risk to life and property. The "Levy" comes from the agreement that the settlements and towns which wanted to come under the protection of the force would agree to contribute a certain number of able-bodied men -

BH: - just men?




General Leeroy remembers the early days of the CAL


SL: Haha in the first days, yes – but we have had a mixed-sex CAL for many years now, and our servicemen and women do a fantastic job keeping order and protecting the national borders. As I was saying though, originally the CAL was a force of these men drafted from the settlements and towns, very much a "levy" in the traditional sense – hence the name, the force was a levy of men raised by the Campaign Alliance. But it's separate from the political Campaign Alliance, always has been.

BH: And nowadays?

SL: Well we have a 100% volunteer force now and have had for almost a decade; a well-trained and well-equipped Regular military, fit to fight and win on land, water or in the air, backed up by part-time Militia units. These Militia units really do embody the spirit of the CAL in those first years of course, young men and women taking up arms and forming units to defend their homes and places of work.




talkHARD's Bob Harding


BH: Although of course, this citzen-army was not needed in the event?

SL: Well I think we were very fortunate in the way in which the transition to independence was managed. The young nation of Zumo gained independence a little later than our neighbours and as a result we learned much from the examples, positive or otherwise, of other African sister states' independence routes; learning which we then put to good use. We have a very talented young nation and the continued years of peace – much due, let us not forget, to the CAL's vigour and vigilance in protecting us from enemies foreign and domestic - have enabled the nation's potential to be met.

BH: Thank you General. You mentioned the well-equipped military; can I ask you what you make of the recent story of a CAL supply colony being ambushed and captured in North-Eastern Province? It sounds as if there is a rebel band which has just become very well-equipped too, no?




General Leeroy inspects a CAL bomber aircraft


SL: Oh no Bob, I think that's something which we've already thoroughly debunked – no weapons or ammunition have gone missing, these are simply rumours and half-stories being spread by dissident groups and the less reputable elements of our national media, and frankly Bob I'm surprised you're giving them the oxygen of publicity here on talkHARD. You've mentioned equipment though, and what I will say is that there is some very good new equipment which will be arriving soon to equip units of the CAL; some of the best equipment in Africa and certainly it will keep the CAL in a very strong position defending our people and our nation.

BH: One final question, General. We've got elections coming up in Zumo in the next few months as you know, and if the opinion polls are to be believed the Campaign Alliance look set to continue in power whether in coalition or governing solo. You have been a very influential and powerful person in the nation and behind the scenes; you clearly wield considerable power far aside from the military power at your fingertips. What part will you be playing on behalf of the Campaign Alliance in the election campaign to come?

SL: Bob, I have to say you know full well that I have no interest in politics or position. Any talk of influence or power, or for electoral campaigning, I would very much downplay; let's leave all that talk for the Grand Assembly of Deputies. As for me, Zumo is my country and I aim to serve her and her people - and I mean, all of her people – and I take the awesome responsibility for her defence very seriously indeed. But politics? No, I'm a military man, a simple soldier. I'll stay here at my post.

BH: And I think we are all glad that you are there, General. General Stevo Leeroy, thank you.

SL: Thank you, Bob.