Solentia

[SolentiaAhmadi]

A snippet from a Luthorian language journal.

Jaishe-e Ahmadi Prepare for Summer Fighting Season in Solentia

August 5594

"Once elections are done, we will attack". So started General Sirajuddin Mehsud, the Chief of Defence for the Solentian government and the most senior officer within the Jaish-e Ahmadi forces. For the last two years he has been moulding Jaish-e Ahmadi along with disparate other armed formations as he attempts to build a new armed forces for Solentia. For decades the country did without a proper centralised armed forces, and General Mehsud has had to try and fix this major problem, all the while Kalopia has seized a quarter of Solentia and Kalopian aircraft patrol the sky with no opposition.



General Mehsud at the interview

Jaish-e Ahmadi Reorganisation

Eight years ago Jaish-e Ahmadi was just a collection of tribal militia's united by their Ahmadi faith and opposition to a left-wing government that had emerged in the capital Oda. Today Jaish-e Ahmadi is a battle hardened force that has been at war for six years, having won a string of victories over its left-wing opponents and almost succeeded in reuniting the country until Kalopian illegally invaded Solentia.



Jaish-e Ahmadi soldiers are no longer the tribal militia of yesteryear

Through 5593 Jaish-e Ahmadi began the process of integrating former enemies, and this year the Solentian government has attempted to purchase new weapons to allow Jaish-e Ahmadi to better challenge Kalopian dominance on the battlefield. Although Jaish-e Ahmadi is still primarily armed with small arms weapons, rocket propelled grenades and a sprinkling of heavier machine guns, anti-air and anti-tank weapon systems have begun to appear inside Solentia. In addition to this while I have been inside Solentia I have met a small number of ex-military personnel from Kafuristan, Istalia and Deltaria who are being paid to train Jaish-e Ahmadi.



Jaish-e Ahmadi soldiers with anti-air missiles

Although most Jaish-e Ahmadi remain amateur by western standards, the armed group is now built around the usual military brigades/divisions and corps structure, with a smaller number of professional well-equipped soldiers supported by part-time militia. The aim of the new Solentian army it to prevent further Kalopian occupation of Solentian soil and to harass the Kalopian troops inside the Kalopian occupied zone. General Mehsud believes the Kalopians would be unable to break into northern Solentia, although admits the southern Wilayat of Caistra and Nalia are much more vulnerable to Kalopian troops.

Infiltration of Kalopian Occupied Zone

To this end General Mehsud detailed he has infiltrated thousands of fighters into the occupied zone. The aim of these fighters is to launch a continual barrage of low level attacked using Improvised Explosive Devices to wear out the occupying Kalopian forces. These fighters, almost always wearing local clothing blend into the civilian population, where they have widespread support against the Kalopian occupiers following continued negative stories.



IEDs damage equipment and have caused a steady increase in Kalopian casualties

Ahmadi State as Shock Troops

Although the Kalopian military can easily defeat Jaish-e Ahmadi on the battlefield with their superior firepower, it is obvious that Kalopia has no solution to the continued opposition of the Solentian people. Continual attacks has worn down the Kalopian military. More worryingly, rather than defeat Ahmadi State, Kalopia seems to have expanded the terrorist group with its illegal invasion of Solentia providing a casus belli for tens of thousands of young Ahmadi men to travel to Solentia to fight Kalopia. Ahmadi State is now more capable that it has been in years and is able to conduct attacks inside Kalopia. Ahmadi State fighters, with their foreign accents are easily distinguishable from their local allies in Jaish-e Ahmadi. But General Mehsud praises Ahmadi State as good fighters who have willingly travelled to Solentia to free the country from Kalopian colonial exploitation. Ahmadi State operatives plan some of the most profile attacks against the Kalopian military, and it is Ahmadi State martyr squads who typically initiate many of the so called suicide attacks launched against Kalopian forces.

When will it end?

So when will this war end? What started as an internal civil war has become a war between Kalopia and Solentia. Kalopia has no allies inside Solentia, and it is hard to determine what their objectives are and how they would measure success. The soldiers of Jaish-e Ahmadi just want peace and for their country to be free from foreign control. With a horrific famine ongoing the civilian population continue to suffer the most.

[SolentiaAhmadi]

Famine Enters Second Winter

August 5595

The Solentian famine has entered its second year, made worse by another bitter winter. Humanitarian agencies detail deaths may have risen to over one million, although it is difficult to verify as winter makes travel difficult through large parts of Solentia. Despite the huge death toll Kalopia has maintained its naval blockade, continuing to strangle Solentia. Although Kalopia has detailed it has increased humanitarian aid, the reality is this will have done little to alleviate suffering in the 75% of Solentia outside of the Kalapian occupation. Lodamun remains the only nation to provide humanitarian aid inside Solentia, although Kanjor is providing aid to Solentian refugees inside Quanzar. One aid workers lamented;

The suffering will stop the moment Kalopia lifts its naval blockade. I can't understand why they're continuing to kill Solentians through starvation.

Limited aid continues to be airdropped into Solentia by Lodamun.

OOC: Once the Solentian conflict has ended I shall roll the population drops (casualties of the conflict/refugees/famine) and request an update to the Solentian population figure.

[kalosimat]

Partial Withdrawal of Kalopian Forces from Solentia = https://forum.prtcy.com/thread-10-post-3...ml#pid3873

Current troop deployment in Solentia (Mostates district): https://forum.prtcy.com/thread-239-post-...ml#pid3855

[GreekIdiot]

OOC: Heads up on the Kalopian news thread, here.

[jamescfm]

Dozens arrested in response to Dankata unemployment protests
26 October 5632

Solentian police have arrested at least 60 people following mass demonstrations in the district of Dankata. Protestors gathered yesterday for the fifth consecutive night to demand government action to tackle the high rate of unemployment and persistent economic stagnation in the country. The crowds were dominated by young people, who have a disproportionately high rate of unemployment.

Unlike previous nights, local security forces were equipped to deal with protestors yesterday evening. Police used tear gas and armoured vehicles to disperse crowds. According to reports, demonstrators were beaten and detained in large numbers. Dankata’s local government issued a statement which said that “rioting and public disorder would not be tolerated”.

Local human rights groups have condemned the arrests, and the wider police response to the demonstrations. Despite the rhetoric of the security forces, local media had suggested the protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, before yesterday’s events. At present, the federal government has not commented.

For almost two decades, Solentia has been governed by the former warlord Khog Noorani. After removing the country’s previous president in a military coup, Noorani succeeded in mostly pacifying the country’s remaining Ahmadist militant groups, and restoring stability. In spite of this, he has led an authoritarian regime with effectively no room for political opposition.

In the past year, unemployment and inflation have increased rapidly in Solentia, partly due to the impact of global economic trends. Though there have been isolated acts of protest, the demonstrations in Dankata mark a significant shift. From self-imposed exile, the Solentian opposition leader Ghuncha Gul Razavi has voiced support for demonstrators and criticised the authorities for their heavy-handed response. Razavi urged the Solentian public to “speak with one voice” for economic and political reform.

[jamescfm]

Thirteen killed in attack on Dhaafir al-Salehi University campus
11 March 5633

Thirteen people have been killed after militants stormed the campus of Dhaafir al-Salehi University in the Solentian capital Ghuda. Students and staff were forced to hide for up to seven hours while the police and military attempted to regain control of university buildings. The attack follows only two days after a suicide bombing killed three people elsewhere in the capital.

Solentia’s health authorities said thirteen people were killed, including eight students, and at least 40 people were injured. Police officers and university security staff were among the casualties. In the course of the attack, dozens of students attempted to assist the authorities by providing information from inside the campus.

At present, the authorities have yet to say who they believe is responsible for the deadliest attack in Ghuda since the end of the Winter War. Dhaafir al-Salehi University is the second-largest higher education institution in the capital, and is named after a 39th century Solentian Majatran religious leader. Due to its course offerings in the Majatran language, it attracts a relatively high proportion of international students.

The attack raises serious concerns about the security situation in Solentia. Over the summer months, there was a notable increase in violence from militant groups in the country’s remote northern regions. For the past two decades, the country’s president Khog Noorani has based the legitimacy of his rule on providing stability. Renewed violence weakens this legitimacy.

[jamescfm]

Ghuda gripped by protests following death of Gulnar Malhotra
20 March 5633

Thousands of protestors have gathered in the streets of the Solentian capital Ghuda following the death of 63-year-old market trader Gulnar Malhotra. Demonstrations erupted across the city overnight, after it emerged she had died following injuries sustained while in police custody. According to reports, Malhotra was detained by the police because she was deemed to be selling textiles without a license.

Ghuda’s two universities, located only a few streets apart, have been at the centre of the demonstrations. Less than two weeks after thirteen people were killed in a terrorist attack at Dhaafir al-Salehi University, students gathered to demand justice for Malhotra, and wider political reform in the country.

In response to the protests, security forces have gathered in large numbers throughout the city. In the main square in the University of Ghuda, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to attempt to disperse the assembled crowds. Khog Noorani, the country’s president, issued a statement warning protestors that “violence would not be tolerated”.

The perceived brutality of the police’s treatment of an elderly woman, compared with their failure to prevent the attack on Dhaafir al-Salehi University earlier this month, has served as a symbol of the impotence of Noorani’s government. When combined with the high rates of unemployment and inflation across the country, the events have severely undermined Solentia’s long-serving president.

[jamescfm]

President Khog Noorani declares national state of emergency
5 April 5633

Following over two weeks of protests across the country, Solentian president Khog Noorani has declared a nationwide state of emergency. In a short television address this evening, Noorani told the public that the emergency measures were required to “protect the Solentian people and restore order”.

Under the provisions of the Solentian constitution, the president is able to exercise complete control over the government for a period of up to ten days during a state of emergency. In his address, Noorani announced a ban on all public gatherings, and the imposition of a nationwide curfew. Travel restrictions have been imposed, including the suspension of all flights from the country’s principal international airport in Ghuda.

The measures follow a period of extreme political tension. Since the current wave of protests began in the capital at the end of last month, they have spread rapidly throughout the country. Though the catalyst was the death of 63-year-old market trader Gulnar Malhotra, there are a number of underlying factors at play too. Solentia’s economy has faltered in the past three years. Youth unemployment, in particular, is at a record high, since the end of the Kalopian occupation.

After coming to power in 5614, Noorani developed a reputation for his ruthless suppression of political dissent. The inability of the security forces to respond to the latest protests represents the most significant failure of his presidency in this respect. Over the past two decades, he has based his political authority on his ability to maintain security and order, in a country used to political violence.

The motivations and objectives of protestors are mixed. Opposition to government corruption and demands for better employment opportunities are central themes. Aside from this, there are a number of diverse ideologies represented, ranging from extremist forms of political Ahmadism to peasant-based communism. No unified political leadership has emerged, but exiled political figures including Ghuncha Gul Razavi, have voiced their support for the protest movement.

[jamescfm]

Interim government appointed following Noorani’s resignation
11 April 5633

An interim government has been appointed in Solentia after long-serving president Khog Noorani fled the country this morning. After almost two decades as president, Noorani surrendered power following nationwide protests in response to corruption, economic mismanagement, and authoritarian rule. In the past three weeks, it is estimated that over a hundred people have died due to violence between protesters and security forces.

In the short time since Noorani left the country, the Supreme Court has ratified the appointment of an interim government led by senior military officer Alam Bukhari. In a public statement, Bukhari pledged to “restore security and order” across the country before the transition to a new government. A state of emergency remains in place nationwide.

In the capital Ghuda, there were scenes of jubilation as the news broke that Noorani had resigned and left the country. Despite the celebrations, it is not yet clear whether the appointment of Bukhari as interim president will be accepted by the Solentian public. As a long-serving military official, he is closely tied to the Noorani’s regime, and there are reservations about his commitment to overseeing political change.

Bukhari has promised to meet with political leaders in the coming days to make arrangements for a transition of power but the process is likely to be controversial. The protest movement that has gripped Solentia for almost a month has no central leadership. Numerous political figures inside and outside the country have sought ownership with limited success.

[jamescfm]

Fazilat alliance claims victory in constitutional assembly elections
24 November 5633

Fazilat, an Ahmadi conservative political alliance, has claimed victory in the first elections for the Solentian constitutional assembly. After the election results emerged overnight, the alliance’s leader Alamzeb Sumalani promised a crowd of supporters in the capital that he would “carry forward the torch of the people’s revolution”.

Following seven months of rule by a military-appointed interim government, a nationwide vote was held in Solentia yesterday to elect a special constitutional assembly. The elections were overseen by the reformed electoral commission. At the request of the interim government, there were hundreds of election observers from a variety of countries involved in overseeing the process, with notable delegations from Egelion and Kalistan. Early reports suggest the voting process was mostly fair, though concerns remain about the integrity of polling stations in many remote areas.

Despite the buoyant tone of the Fazilat leader, the alliance has not won a majority in this election. At the last update, they were projected to win 92 seats out of a total of 300. Sumalani will be entitled to lead the process of drafting a new democratic constitution but he will need to compromise. Finishing in second place, the Justice and Democracy Party led by Ghuncha Gul Razavi represents a natural ally. Both parties have characterised themselves as “Ahmadi democratic” throughout the campaign.

Aside from this, the assembly appears fractured. At the time of writing, it is projected that at least twelve parties will be represented. Sumalani, Razavi, and other mainstream political leaders will have to make difficult decisions about how to accommodate radical political elements, such as the left-wing People's Revolutionary Party for Socialism and Democracy, or the various extremist forms of political Ahmadism represented.

In the coming months, the constitutional assembly will be forced to reckon with a number of fundamental tensions within Solentian society. Aside from the simple matter of how the political system should be organised, there will be heated debate over the relationship between religion and the state, and the role of ethnic minority groups within government. Sumalani and his supporters will celebrate today, but there is an uncertain road ahead.