Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

By virtue of its economic relationship and now budding security relationship with Kafuristan, Lodamun has by the assessment of numerous analysts and commentators of the sort, enhanced its involvement in Majatra. Although within these assessments the importance of Kafuristani crude oil and natural gas has often been highlighted at the principles means through which Lodamun draws justification for its enhanced relationship with the south-eastern majatran state, there is a common ground shared between Kensington and al-Kasraj: concerns related to the rise of radical/fundamentalist ahmadism in the region. The victory of the fundamentalist Hezb-e Ahmadi (Ahmadi Party) in Solentia and its growing appeal among the nation’s young, male population had been a matter on the radar of the Lodamese security and intelligence community. 

At a congressional hearing on regional and global terrorism, then SSA Director William Schotts, concluded that although the conflict involving Kafuristan and Istalia poses a clear and present threat to Lodamese prosperity, the rise of Ahmadi fundamentalism within Majatra, particularly in Jakania and the South-Eastern Majatran states ought not to be disregarded. “It is my belief that although the present danger remains Istalia’s illegal war against Kafuristan. We ought not to turn a blind eye to the rise of Ahmadi fundamentalism and extremism in that region as it not only places our interests in that region at a unique risk but given extremism’s allure towards exporting said extremism/fundamentalism to other territories, it poses a threat to global security.”  With the conflict between Kafuristan and Istalia having been settled via a negotiated peace between the three nations involved, a tentative reconstruction effort within the nation begins but some security analysts have noted that it could be seriously hindered by the rise of the Ahmadi Party in Solentia and the ensuing Solentian civil war.

At an impromptu press conference on the stairs of the Lodamese Embassy in Al-Kasraj, Lodamese Ambassador to Kafuristan, Rosanna Lewden confirmed that the diplomatic mission had been “monitoring” the situation in Solentia for the better half of the past 8 months. She noted that the rise of the Hezb-e Ahmadi had been similarly matched by the Mutahad Kargar Gond (MKG), a left-leaning party largely comprised of trade unionists and those sympathetic to the broader Solentian worker’s rights movement. Since the outbreak of the civil conflict, both the MKG and Jaish-e Ahmadi (the paramilitary wing of the Hezb-e Ahmadi) have been engaged in a series of brutal skirmishes which had triggered a migrant crisis as thousands flee the ever-intensifying conflict. Most recently, it had been reported that the Hezb-e Ahmadi (ASIM) had been taking advantage of the conflict war in Solentia and were setting up training camps in Solentia’s isolated and mountainous Saspain Wilayat region.

 Ambassador Lewden noted that although the civil conflict remained of particular concern for the Lodamese Government, the rise of ASIM posed a greater threat. Pointing to the Gath Defence Collective’s assessment of the terrorist organisation, Lewden sought to underscore the group’s dangerous potential. “Although we recognise that the situation in Solentia is precarious and poses numerous security risks to Kafuristan and Lodamun, especially in this time of Kafuri reconstruction, ASIM’s resurgence in the area is of particular concern. We note this group’s dangerous potential to globalise terror and to export fundamentalism and extremism to all corners of the world,” Ambassador Lewden explained. With the civil conflict in Solentia brewing and Jakania seemingly without stable governance, many analysts have noted that these are the perfect conditions for ASIM and other groups to spring roots and grow their numbers.

As Lodamun is primarily concerned with the relative stability of Kafurstan as the nation rebuilds from its decades-long conflict with Istalia, it is likely that Kensington will take a more active role in the nation, particularly as it relates to security issues. “Instability in al-Kasraj creates uncertainty for Kensington. One can not begin to understand the importance of Kafuristani crude oil and natural gas imports for the Lodamese economy, as although the nation imports from a diverse selection of nations including Hutori, Dorvik, Lourenne and Aldegar, sweet crude from Kafuristan is largely responsible for fueling Berkwaki’s burgeoning downstream petrochemicals industry in the absence of Trigunian energy imports,” Leon Porter, a senior research analyst for the Centre for Geostrategic Policy and Research explained. “Given the fact that Kafuristan and Lodamun have recently signed a broad security agreement, I’d expect to see greater cooperation between the Lodamese security and intelligence community (inclusive of the NIB, SSA, ODI and GCO) and the Kafuri General Intelligence Directorate and the Military Intelligence Directorate, with the Lodamese Armed Forces to play a much larger role in the area.”