Background

Situation Report

Overview

The Democratic Republic of Zugando (DRZ) is a country on the west coast of Africa, in the Sub-Saharan region. Its population is estimated to be approximately 7 million, mostly clustered into settlements along the coast. Its capital city is Victoria Town.

The climate is tropical. Arable land is generally found along the coastal area, and the countries interior largely comprised of dense tropical jungles and wetlands, with few all year round roads.

Dense Jungle Covers Most of the Inland Regions

English is the national; first language, although various native tongues are also spoken, and are often mixed with English to form a lingua franca known a Kio.

Although known as the Democratic Republic of Zugando, Zugando is neither a democracy nor a republic. In the areas where the government is in control (primarily along the coast) is ran as a totalitarian dictatorship. In other areas lawlessness and warlordism prevail, and no meaningful government exists.

History

Formally part of the British Empire since it became a colony in 1808 (Then known as Zuganland), it was granted independence in 1961, and became a republic in 1971, and was renamed the Democratic Republic of Zugando.

Colonial Era Buildings in the Government Controlled Victoria Town

Post-colonial politics in the 20^th century were characterised by corruption and dictatorship. Despite its altruistic title the Democratic Republic of Zugando was a dictatorship since 1978, when its parliament voted to make then president, Mr Charles Madanawanga a president for life.

Cronyism and corruption were rife under President Madanawanga’s leadership. The countries resources were systematically plundered by multinational corporations while countries infrastructure slowly slid into ruin. Those close to Madanawanga accumulated incredible wealth and power, while the poorest lived in a state of near famine.  

Charles Madanawanga’s death in 2004 was seen by many as an opportunity for reform, but when parliament chose his son, Doctor Edmund Madanawanga, as his successor the county erupted into violent protest.

Governments in the west had hoped that Edmund Madanawanga, an Oxford educated engineer, would prove to be a reformer, but his reaction to the protests was brutal repressions. Soon protest turned into unrest, which slid into civil war, with the neo-communist People’s Resistance Army (PRA) battling the government forces for control of the resources of Zugando.

Fighters from the People's Resistance Army

The international community were concerned that the war in Zugando would destabilise the region, which already included some of Africa’s more volatile countries, but they were reluctant to intercede in what seemed to be a purely internal problem. This attitude prevailed for the first twelve months of the conflict until a Catholic missionary Father Dom Dublin exposed the PRA’s campaign of systematic genocidal attacks against the minority ethnic Metandi population.

With the worlds media focused at last on the civil war in Zugando, western democratic countries felt compelled to act. Great Britain, as the former colonial power, maintained strong links to the Zugandan government, and the British Prime Minister was instrumental in the formation of the International Coalition for Zugando (I-COZ). I-COZ was a peacekeeping force comprised of British, US and African Union troops (mostly Nigerian, South African and Ugandan).

I-COZ attempts to disarm the PRA failed, and before long the peacekeepers found themselves under attack by the PRA. Confusing rules of engagement hamstrung the I-COZ forces, and the PRA quickly got the upper hand, escalating their program of ethnic cleansing against the Metandi population and supporters of the Zugandan government.

The killing of twenty-four Nigerian policemen in the I-COZ barracks at Seatown by the PRA lead to a drastic review of the I-COZ rules of engagement. America, already reluctant partners in I-COZ during an election year, withdrew most of their forces, leaving Britain and the AU to protect the costal areas nominally controlled by the Zugandan government. To counter this a strong force of US Special Forces was sent reinforce the UK SF already operating in the interior of Zugando. Their orders were simple: To locate and eliminate the leadership of the People’s Resistance Army.

Current Events

  The current situation in the Democratic Republic of Zugando is best described as fluid. The Government, under President Edmund Madanawanga, has nominal control over the coastal region, including the capital city Victoria. I-COZ and government forces are centred in the urban areas, and these are reasonably secure: the Zugandan army only sporadically patrols the rural areas along the coast, and lawlessness is the norm. The exception is the northern seaport of Seatown, which is still firmly under the control of the PRA. The attempts of the US Navy to blockade Seatown have been hampered by unpredictable current and submerged reefs.

PRA Forces Operate Without Restriction in Inland Regions

  PRA forces are well entrenched in the inland areas, where dense jungle terrain hampers attempts to locate and dislodge them. The PRA controls Zugando’s lucrative diamond and gold mines. UN sanctions forbid open trade in Zugandan minerals, but that hasn’t stopped a black market opening up, with much of the illegal goods believed to be finding its way to South Africa and Russia. The PRA launch frequent raids into government territory to capture Zugandans to work in their mines or fight in their army.