P&S-No Rest for the Wicked

Nothing firm here, just jotting down some background/lead up data to try and flesh out what's going on.



Journal Entry, Major General George L. Meiring , 9th November, 1983.
Maj Gen Charles Lloyd presented a proud image as he left the parade ground. My flight in had been as could be expected of a military flight. To take command of SWAFT is a great entrustment, and I can only hope to serve my country as well as Charles has.


And yet, I am troubled. I am told that Mr. Crocker has informed us of the Cubans drawing down their forces in Angola. Yet the news says nothing of our capitulating to Reagan’s demands of withdrawing from Namibia. I know this to be true. Yet, our own intelligence confirms it: Il-62 flights from both the Soviet Union and Cuba have reduced dramatically.
My thoughts on the matter were coincidentally interrupted by a meeting with General Loots to go over the most recent intel data. Evidently, Colonel Breytenbach has confirmed rumors that… (CENSORED)



23, November, 1983.
Working with General Loots, MG Meiring gives the go-ahead for a heavily revised Operation Askari. With confirmed intelligence that Cuban assets and Soviet support into Angolan based SWAPO is reducing dramatically. Intelligence services have yet to determine the reason for the significant withdrawal of support, however further intelligence confirms that it is not being re-directed into other regional nations. Therefore, with President Viljoen’s signature, orders authorizing the reworked plan were put into motion.



With SWAPO in a weakened stated: lacking support from its Communist backers, key objectives would be to destroy numerous supply dumps, and troops staging facilities. Details of the cross-border operation were not released to UNITA, as their control of information could not be trusted. Yet it was hoped that they would see the opportunity, and the SWAPO could finally be brought to the negotiating table.



6th January, 1984.
Exactly one month after the original date set for the operation, roughly 3,000 men moved across the border into Angola…
 
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Added a bit to the prior post:

Journal Entry, Major General George L. Meiring , 9th November, 1983.
Maj Gen Charles Lloyd presented a proud image as he left the parade ground. My flight in had been as could be expected of a military flight. To take command of SWAFT is a great entrustment, and I can only hope to serve my country as well as Charles has.

And yet, I am troubled. I am told that Mr. Crocker has informed us of the Cubans drawing down their forces in Angola. Yet the news says nothing of our capitulating to Reagan’s demands of withdrawing from Namibia. I know this to be true. Yet, our own intelligence confirms it: Il-62 flights from both the Soviet Union and Cuba have reduced dramatically.
My thoughts on the matter were coincidentally interrupted by a meeting with General Loots to go over the most recent intel data. Evidently, Colonel Breytenbach has confirmed rumors that… (CENSORED)


23, November, 1983.
Working with General Loots, MG Meiring gives the go-ahead for a heavily revised Operation Askari. With confirmed intelligence that Cuban assets and Soviet support into Angolan based SWAPO is reducing dramatically. Intelligence services have yet to determine the reason for the significant withdrawal of support, however further intelligence confirms that it is not being re-directed into other regional nations. Therefore, with President Botha’s signature, orders authorizing the reworked plan were put into motion.

With SWAPO in a weakened stated: lacking support from its Communist backers, key objectives would be to destroy numerous supply dumps, and troops staging facilities. Details of the cross-border operation were not released to UNITA, as their control of information could not be trusted. Yet it was hoped that they would see the opportunity, and the SWAPO could finally be brought to the negotiating table.


6th January, 1984.
Exactly one month after the original date set for the operation, roughly 3,000 men moved across the border into Angola…
Within a month, the 500 man Task Force Victor had established a screen to the north of Cahama, while the 600 man X-Ray Force had successfully cleared Cahama, Quileve, and were moving in on Mulondo. Task Force Delta-Fox reported the highest action: with their Ratel’s having engaged a single Cuban Battalion at Cuvelai, equipped with 5 T-54-2’s. ENTAC equipped vehicles had destroyed all tanks, inflicted severe casualties on the enemies, and taken only 1 casualty who had already been evacuated via Allouette III.
The 32nd Btn personnel of Task Force Tango reported significant concentrations of Cuban forces near Caiundo, in various states of withdrawal. Initiating harassing fire, they were able to pin down 3 times their number of MPLA and Cuban forces until the arrival of the 1st Parachute Btn, and have succeeded in pushing enemy forces back so far as the Chubango. Meanwhile, men of the 32Btn attached to Task Force Echo-Victor are rushing to pin them down from the north, while similarly attempting to screen against potential forces flowing east through Menongue.


Cuban FAR HQ, Munhango, Angola, 20th January, 1984
General Leopoldo Cintra Frías ground his teeth. Havana wasn’t sending any more troops, and the Soviet attaché could only shrug in impotence regarding the drying up of equipment from Russia. As a graduate of Academy of General Staff, USSR, he knew full well the production capacity of the world’s greatest military machine, and with the flights drying up…
What the hell was going on?!? How did anyone expect him to bring about the revolution without men and equipment. Despite his pleas to Havana, he’d been curtly told that nothing more was available, and that the MPLA was going to have to begin carrying its own weight.
The only consolation prize he’d been able to wrangle was to finally get some theater missiles deployed from the Soviets. Arriving on a Vietnamese flagged freighter and disguised as large containers, he’d personally inspected the TEL vehicles.
If all else failed, at least the People’s forces would hold the trump card in the region…


Washington Post, Feb 12, 1984, Pg 14…
Assistant Secretary Crocker Announces Surprise visit to South Africa
Christopher Hitchens of World Affairs has reported via interview with the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs that Mr. Crocker will be traveling to Pretoria very shortly. Pres Reagan’s recent address regarding South Africa’s attacks into Angola has drawn tentative approval from Republicans, however strong opposition to the apartheid regime has seen scathing criticism of Mr. Crocker’s soft handed approach. Attention to the trip has however, been overshadowed by growing concerns regarding the Soviet Union’s…


Unrecorded Conversations between As. Sec Chester Crocker and Foreign Minister Roelof Botha, MP at State function, Cape Town, Feb 15, 1984…
Crocker: “I’m trying to help you out here…”
Botha: “How? You are trying to take credit for the drawdown?”
Crocker: “You know I’ve been pushing for a Cuban withdrawal for years. Why can’t you just-“
Botha: “Please!” (hands in front of him) “You and I both know that it has nothing to do with your government’s involvement.”
Crocker: “All right, I’ll level with you. Yes. I had nothing to do with the Cubans and Soviets drawing down support. I don’t know why they’re doing it. But we have to take advantage of the situation and-“
Botha: “Which we are…”
Crocker: “But not like this!” (rubs temples) “Look. We have intel that the Soviets are building up in Europe. If this thing goes where I think it’s going, the last then thing my government wants is to have your mess on its hands as well.”
Botha: (narrows eyes) “What do you mean: on your hands? What 'mess' are you talking about?”
Crocker: (exasperated sigh) “You know full well that my government was the only thing standing between South Africa and UN sanctions. Without that, where would you be?”
Botha: (grins like a fox) “Probably exactly where we were a few years ago.”
Crocker: “Look. I’m flying out to meet with dos Santos in a week. At least give me something I can use.”
Botha: “Why? You know full well that-“
(interrupted by Mozambique Ambassador to South Africa)
 
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What do you think happened to Nelson Mandela?In 1984 he was still in prison in South Africa.What would the apartheid government have done when the war broke out and the country was on the verge of collapse.Summary execution of all political prisoners or did they just forget about them in the chaos?
 
What do you think happened to Nelson Mandela?In 1984 he was still in prison in South Africa.What would the apartheid government have done when the war broke out and the country was on the verge of collapse.Summary execution of all political prisoners or did they just forget about them in the chaos?
My South African TL hasn't gotten to the actual usage of nuclear weapons yet. When they do come however, that will most certainly be dealt with. ;)
It should also be noted, that the county was (in the 1980's) not anywhere near "close to collapse".
 
OOC: Kind of a 30,000 foot overview. So, not a lot of fancy writing. Mostly still in the set up...:(



32nd Battalion Recon Team Golf, 3 miles south of Menongue.
18 Feb, 1984…
2nd Lieutenant Edwin Mudingi, former Selous Scout, was CO of the 7 man team, and happened to be on stag when they rolled into town.
Through the binoculars, there was just something not right about the massive containers coming in on the 11:15 from Namibe. He gazed at the four flatcars, wondering why the extra security of Cubans running around, when one of the containers began spouting smoke, and proceeded to drive itself off the flatcar. He quietly nudged Warrant Officer Phaswane Mhlophe awake, and pointed out the oddity.
Radioing back to the FOB, the occurrence was noted down.

19th Feb, 1984…
General Frías was getting seriously nervous. Across the board, the South Africans were raiding farther and farther north. He’d lost 27 AFV’s, and over a thousand Cubans had been put out of commission by the SADF. God knew how many natives.
Only the day before, he’d received word that things in Europe were going down the s—t hole, and the light clicked on as to why everything had dried up.
But that didn’t solve anything. The Apartheid bastards were still breathing down his neck, and he still had a revolution to push forward! He’d rode the train to Menongue to personally oversee the deployment of 3 of the 4 systems deployed to him. By god, if things went bad, he wanted to be in position.

Cape Town…
Receiving word of the forward deployment of large, mobile objects, Pres Botha swallows hard, and signs the order putting 6 very specific English Electric Canberra B(I)12 bombers on permanent scramble notice. Security around Ysterplaat, and Wingfield airbases is doubled.

12:47, 21st, Feb, 1984…
Strangely, it was the Cubans who knew of the first atomic blasts in Germany. Orders were relayed from Havana to General Frías to put his 4 RSD-10 systems on line immediately: with selected targets in South Africa.

13:06 PM, Menongue…
The first TEL begins the erection sequence, and is immediately reported back to SADF Airbase, Ondangua, South West Africa by Golf Recce Squad, 32nd Battalion.

13:11 PM, South Africa…
Pilots begin preflight sequence in their nuclear armed Canberra bombers.

13:25 PM, South Africa…
Word of the atomic detonations in Germany is received in South Africa. Various members of the government are loaded onto Aérospatiale Puma helicopters for the short flight off-shore to the SAS President Pretorious .

13:27, Havana…
Fidel Castro received word of launch orders Soviet strikes against targets in Europe and America. He demands confirmation.

13:32, South Africa…
6 English Electric Canberra Bombers taxi to the runway, for immediate departure. They are informed of their targets as they begin rolling.

13:42, Havana…
Confirmation of Soviet launches is received, orders issued toGeneral Frías for immediate launch

13:51, Just off the coast of Cape Town…
Enroute to the SAS President Pretorious, the order is given for one of the Canberra bombers to destroy the city of Cape Town. The pilot is shocked by the order and enters a holding pattern, trying to get additional confirmation of the order.

14:12, Menongue, Angola…
Golf Recce Squad reports beginning of firing sequence on RSD-10 ballistic missiles.

14:25, Menongue…
Lift off of first RSD-10 missile. Internal guidance tells it to strike 33°55′31″S 18°25′26″E; Cape Town.
Three others follow within two minutes.
Golf Recce Squad radios the last transmission to be received by fleeing govt officials: “My God! They did it! They’re coming! They’re coming!”

14:30, South Africa…
Plokwane Airport ordered into immediate, emergency shutdown as Mirage III fighters light afterburners to rush there for refueling before performing escort duties.

14:47, Cape Town…
All the idealism, hatred, and passions imprisoned in Robben Island vanish in an instant as two, 150 kiloton warheads airburst over the city of Cape Town. An SADF destroyer, the SAS President Steyn, is caught in the blast along with a large number of fleeing govt officials. Less than a minute later, similar payloads are unleashed over the cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Bloemfontein. Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting blacks and whites alike incinerated in the blasts.

15:03, Plokwane, South Africa…
Ten Mirage III fighters touch down, and ground crew scramble to refuel the aircraft for rendezvous with Canberra bombers now passing overhead.

15:05, Ondangua, South West Africa…
Major General George L. Meiring receives word that Cape Town has been hit and obliterated. He is reported to have simply slumped into his seat, muttering… “My god… My god… They’ve finally done it…”

15:15, Maputo, Mozambique…
They had no chance. There was no way they could have seen it coming. Situated less than 50 miles from the border, they had no advanced warning. Coming in low and hot, the English Electric Canberra bomber did its job.
Releasing the first of South Africa’s nuclear weapons, the capital of Mozambique was obliterated in the blast.
The pilot believed himself to have escaped as he swept out to sea for the return flight to… God only knew. Less than 6 months later, heavy doses of radiation poisoning will end his life.

15:20, South Africa/Zimbabwe Border…
The thinly veiled ruse of claiming to be a civilian flight only lasted for so long. But then they weren’t expecting it to work very well. Confused jabbering over the radio frequencies (perpetrated by the South African NIS) further confused issues, as airwaves were bombarded with garbage intended to mask the inbound flight’s true identity.

15:30, Zimbabe…
Visual confirmation from Rutenga saw the first Zimbabwean fighters scramble to intercept. Over the next 5 minutes, they attempted to engage the escorting Mirage III aircraft. Despite outnumbering them 3 to 1, the Zimbabwean aircraft were slaughtered by the South African veterans. Recently replaced Rhodesian pilots would have made mincemeat of the inbound aircraft, but the inept ZANU pilots were no match. Luring them into ground positions though, saw the Mirages destroyed by ground based fire while the single Canberra slipped through.

1535, Harare, Zimbabe…
Severely damaged by ZSU-32 fire, the Canberra pilot knows full well that he is not going to be able to make it back. Coming in low and under full throttle, the bomb is released at 500 feet. Ironically, the internal timer had been set for the same altitude, resulting in detonation the moment the weapon was armed over the southern half of the city.
The aircraft, and three fourths of the population are vaporized.

15:47, Namibe , Angola…
The third South African nuclear weapon detonates half a kilometer above the heart of the city. Having flown in low and fast along the coastline, the bomber evaded detection through well practiced games of cat-and-mouse with Angolan based air defenses. Half a million people are either instantly killed, or will die shortly from massive injuries.

16:05, Lusanka, Zambia…
In the chaos of the mad scramble to stave off the flight into Harare, a second flight is able to avoid detection over Zimbabwe by flying at a hair-raising 100 feet.
Once over the city, a graceful sweep up in altitude sees the bomb released at nearly 5 km. Turning west, the aircraft again ducks down low over the Zambezi river for a mad dash towards Buffalo Base, South West Africa.
ZSU-32 fire attempts to intercept, but with no clear communication from Lusanka, is ineffective.

16:05, Lubango, Angola…
In a strange quirk of fate, unnoticed by historians, the bomb released over Lubango detonated only 15 seconds after Lusanka is classified. Using the cover of front line confusion, the aircraft is able to sneak in before detection, and releases its payload.

16:20, South West Africa / Angolan border…
Recovering from his shock, news of the first waves of South African counterstrike finally reaches General Meiring. Breaking every intelligence protocol in the book, orders radio communication with Cuban GeneralFrías; calling for an immediate cease-fire.
General Frías agrees whole heartedly in broken English. Unfortunately, SWAPO men in the area overhear the conversation…

16:34, Beira, Mozambique…
As if out of poetic respect for the agreement between Meiring and Frías, the sixth and final nuclear weapon deployed by South Africa fails to detonate. Instead, raining radioactive material over a 3 sq mile area of the city of Beira, Mozambique.

16:40, Menongue, Angola…
General Frías holds his head in his hands as he again reviews electronic confirmation within the TEL’s that the missiles he ordered launched did indeed detonate over their intended targets. Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria have all be destroyed by his orders. He cradles face as he contemplates his orders which have sent well over a million people out of this life.
Is he a soldier or a butcher?
Outside, a new conflict brews as SWAPO men break out into a riotous argument with his men over hearing that the General has agreed to a cease-fire with the South Africans…
 
The Cubans will be stranded there unless they can settle, perhaps somewhere with tactical acceptance from Meiring, or if they can find transportation to Cuba (but I think Cuba might be heavily damaged)..
 
The Cubans will be stranded there unless they can settle, perhaps somewhere with tactical acceptance from Meiring, or if they can find transportation to Cuba (but I think Cuba might be heavily damaged)..
Yup. I haven't been able to find anything on what happened to Cuba. But there certainly aren't enough assets to get them all out in one go.
And given they're agreed to a ceasefire with Meiring, relations with SWAPO are about to get real ugly...
Then again, SWAPO was based in the capital, and UNITA is still very much alive and kicking...:D
 
Small nit, but the SAAF's nuclear delivery platform in 1984 was the Buccaneer S.50, not the Canberra fleet.

Huh...

This is what I was going on:

The six bombs were designed to be delivered from one of several aircraft types then in service with the South African Air Force (SAAF). The Canberra B12 in service with 12 Squadron SAAF was chosen as the primary air drop vehicle as it was highly reliable, spares were readily available from several countries (unlike the Buccaneer and the maritime reconnaissance Shackleton, grounded because of an international arms embargo that prevented the procurement of spare parts from the UK), and it had both a significantly greater radius of action and a much higher operating altitude than the Buccaneer and Cheetah. There was also much more internal space for the fitting of weapons system control equipment.

Further, the Buccaneer was designed with a rotating bomb-bay, which needed modification to carry the first-generation 'shape' weapon, raising complexity and reliability issues, and increased fuel consumption, leading to the Canberra B12 being the preferred 'viable means of delivery' in the early part of the program.

(quickly hides head under a paper bag before others realize this comes from wiki...)

Although I also toyed with the idea of using Mirage 5 attack planes ala the opening scene to Sum of All Fears (unrealistic though it may be...)
Or via Jericho II / RSA-4-1 per this:

The South African government has in its current
military order of battle several nuclear-capable delivery
systems. It possesses numerous, viable aircraft delivery
systems such as the French Mirage 5, the British Canberra
B-12 and the British Buccaneer Bomber. It also possesses
the Israeli-designed Jerico missile and may have access,
through Israel, to the U.S. designed Lance missile
system.
globalsecurity.com credited to
Dan Smith, South Africa's Nuclear Capability, New
York: United Nations Center Against Apartheid, 1980, 21

Basically, I've seen documentation pointing to the Canberra, and why it would have been a better system, but nothing indicating why they would have chosen the Buccaneer other than an (admitedly) higher speed.
Finally, given the short notice of going from conventional to nuclear: I assumed there wouldn't have been time to properly equip the Buccaneer for delivery, whereas, the Canberra could easily be slapped with a bomb and sent off.
Hence the handful of foul-ups and highly conventional release paterns.

Point being: resources are a bit stretched as is to give the proper destruction patterns indicated by both AD and the original thread. I still have no idea why the Soviets would have allowed nukes into Angola (yea, I intentionally left that a bit vague, or how South Africa would have been able to score perfect 6 out of 6 with first gen, untested weapons. (yea, the Vela incident, but I don't think SA could have done that)
 
Well, the Buccaneer was designed as a nuclear delivery platform, plus several sources I have on the Bucc and the SAAF mention that it was the prefered platform as it had the range and surviveability to do the job. It is also known that the South African nuclear arsenal consisted of 6 fission weapons, pretty much preceisley the same number of S.50s at the end (went down to 5 before the Buccaneer was withdrawn).

What clinches it for me is that there was no reason to maintain such a small fleet of bombers (5-6 by the '80s), unless it had a specialist job.
 
Well, the Buccaneer was designed as a nuclear delivery platform, plus several sources I have on the Bucc and the SAAF mention that it was the prefered platform as it had the range and surviveability to do the job. It is also known that the South African nuclear arsenal consisted of 6 fission weapons, pretty much preceisley the same number of S.50s at the end (went down to 5 before the Buccaneer was withdrawn).

What clinches it for me is that there was no reason to maintain such a small fleet of bombers (5-6 by the '80s), unless it had a specialist job.
Not that I doubt you, but could I see some of these sources?

Just reviewing distances on the map shows that neither of them had the range for a non-stop round trip to the farther targets: Luanda or Lusaka. Heck, Luanda is nearly 2,000 miles from the South African border. That can be cut dramatically by launching from Windohoek, but even then, I don't think it could reach and make it back.
Hitting Lusaka would be flying over 1~2 hostile nations...

Maybe I should just go with the Jericho / RSA-4-1 after all... :confused:
 
If you want to go out and buy the books, then yes. They're not available online, AFAIK.
The SAAF could AAR, either using 707 tankers, or buddy refuelling.

On the issue of the South African weapons not fitting in the weapons bay, the Buccaneer in RN service carried the Red Beard, which was quite a bulky weapon. The South African weapons were broadly comparable in size.

The wiki entry that names the Canberra as the primary platform does not cite its sources.
 
No Rest for the Wicked
Act I, Scene 4-In which the mercenary goes to war, a battalion makes a choice, and people enjoy Tequila and the Apocalypse
H-Hour +10 Days


The situation in Ghana on the dawn of the 10th day was complicated. It appeared that some of their fears regarding refugees poring in from the West were not going to come to pass. Refugees from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, and Upper Volta had all collided as the governments of the area melted down. A belt stretching from Ghana’s border to the radioactive rubble of Dakar had descended into hell as man fought man for the scraps of resources. Many of the surviving cities such as Freetown, Yammorsoenko, and others burned to a cinder. Massacres began at breakfast and carried on through the night as every hatred that had been bottled up was released. A man’s worth was measured by the amount of ammunition he carried, and his willingness to kill for a meal.

Ghana itself was engaged in the fight for its life. Though not an unending tide, they were being pressed heavily in the borderlands of what was left of Benin, with most of the regular units of the Ghanan Army, as well as the army of Togo, fighting against everything from armed groups of partisans and refugees, to remnant units of the Nigerian Army turned bandit. In Ghana itself, the old industrial base of the country was being mobilized for war. Though much of it was old, a limited retooling was possible, with the ability to continue to produce very light vehicles, such as jeeps, world war 2 era anti-tank weapons, and ammunition. However, this would not be a fast process, and in the mean time, Ghana would have to fight, and already the strains were beginning to show. The government kept fighting, and prayed the chaos would burn itself out before they collapsed in on themselves, all while listening to some rather worrying reports from the Niger.

Cameroon was an interesting case. The usually stable government tried to emulate what it was hearing from Ghana and Libya, however, the country simple did not control the resources to fight on the level of the other two. However, it did have one saving grace. Its southern border, and thus the main approaches to Duaola and Yaoundé were secure from foreign overruns, owing the stable government present in Gabon. However, the government still would lose several of its major regions to refugees poring across the border, with Far North, North, and the Northern Half of Adamawa province falling before government troops could establish a rough defensive perimeter, as armed forces trying to “Liberate” Cameroon for the President, King, Emperor, God King, Warlord (All Titles Encountered) of Central Africa and Chad, emptied across the border. However, the situation could have gotten far worse, had not a company of French Foreign Legionares, dropped in via helicopter from Libreville Ghana, and saved the main Cameroonian Battalion guarding the road to Yaoundé from annihilation.

However, that was not the only action of the Legion E’trange. With the help of Gabon, a traditionally stable government, 600 Legionnaires and 2,000 Gabonese Soldiers invaded Equatorial Guiana, in a short war that lasted precisely three days, and ended with the hanging of Teodoro Obiang from the walls of his presidential palace. The war was merciless, short, and ultimately very successful for Gabon, giving it the emergency oil supplies that could keep its armored cars running, and defend against the remains of the Fanatical Socialists who had taken over the Congo after fallout from Kinshasa killed most of the survivors in Brazzaville.

Enter a man on the run

They are driving, its been 2 days since their harried escape from Niamey in the middle of the night. The curious thing was that the pursuit seems to be largely muted. However, the Mercenary has doubts, the King of Niger would probably not be happy with anyone who took the payment they did, and then ran. But running they were. They would be hitting the likely burned out ruins of N’Djamena fairly soon, but he planned to stop for the night. They stopped, the technicals circling like wagons of old. Captain Afrifa walked up to him, the man having become an ally, if not a trusted ally, over the last week. He said
“We need fuel from somewhere. We have some, but not enough to reach Mombassa. Not by a long shot”
“Where do you propose we stop then?”
“N’Djamena maybe, the CAR might be better”
The Legionnaire said
“You might want to listen to this”
He had been playing with a radio, and he turned it
“This is Marine Post-1, N’Djamena, we are under heavy fire, contact has been lost with the British Embassy. We repeat, the Embassy of the United Kingdom has been overrun”
“Well…this got interesting”

Enter Tequila and the Apocalypse

The American throws the shot glass off the balcony, and screams
“FUCK YOU”
The Transvestite holds him back, and says
“Throwing shot glasses off the balcony will not bring Atlanta back”
The Hippy flicks the lighter, he made a bong out of a water bottle and some PVC pipe. The smell of Moroccan Hash wafts across the balcony, the American Businessman pours another shot of Tequila, and pours a shot for the transvestite. The UNICEF worker walks up, her arm around the drummer for Violet Sedan Chair. The rest of the band is not far behind.
The Drummer waves for the bong, takes a hit. The guitarist has brought his acoustic up with him. He starts playing, and for a moment, the people on the balcony are forgetting their sorrows.


It's another tequila sunrise
Starin' slowly 'cross the sky, said goodbye
He was just a hired hand
Workin' on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by

Ev'ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
And she's out runnin' 'round

She wasn't just another woman
And I couldn't keep from comin' on
It's been so long
Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when

It comes down to dealin' friends
It never ends
 
Fortunately, there are a few islands of relative stability in West Africa. They will be regional powers in the long term (in good part thanks to their sources of oil, which will be a prized commodity). The mainland of Ecuatorial Guinea will probably be annexed by Gabon, given Nguema's unpopularity.
The situation in Ndjamena looks concerning.

Keep it up, Agentdark!:)
 
This is the choas at a level that unreal. The dark side of an already dark day.

I'm curious as to who will emerge from this, as anyone does. There seems to be a convergence toward a massive vacuum in leadership.
 
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