African News Agency

[Jacques]

Djibouti - After the public execution last week of President Hikmat Abdulrashid at the hands of General Imram-Ali, all semblance of organized resistance to the spreading extremist group Al janyar has collapsed. Seven freelance reporters have lost their lives in the most recent round of executions, which has included what seems to be the last of the outspoken 'old guard' religious and social leaders in the country.

Eritrea - Al janyar forces have succeeded in capturing the last government-controlled base, leaving the Al janyar forces mere hours from taking the capital. Three private jets, believed to be owned by rich foreign nationals, were destroyed on the tarmac or within minutes of take off, thanks to the capture of a Nigerian supplied arms shipment earlier in the week. President Meles Aregay is expected to offer an unconditional surrender to Warlord Taddesse Tsegaye, leader of the Eritrean based Al janyar forces, within the next few hours.

Somalia - The fighting in Mogadishu continues today between an alliance of formerly bitterly opposed district warlords and Warlord Seef Khilafada's forces. Red Cross and other NGO's have begun to withdraw from the region, with most of their remaining personnel on the ground having successfully evacuated the beleaguered country by plane. In a surprising and heroic turn of events, the disparate Warlord alliance opposing Seef Khilafada's forces made a daring raid on the national airport, in an attack many are saying was inspired by that of Legion Premiere's forces in Jeddah early last year.

Ethiopia - Remnants of the Ethiopian government has sought asylum in Kenya, despite that nation's refusal to allow Ethiopian refugees across their border. Kenyan military forces have begun digging in heavily along the Sudanese and Ethiopian borders. In a last-ditch effort to hamper the efforts of Al janyar, the Ethiopian National Defense Force began to systematically destroy industrial complexes throughout the country, especially the remnants of the Derg Regime's military-industrial sector.

Sudan - A formal declaration of emergency has been declared in much of eastern Sudan, along the Eritrean and Ethiopian borders. A string of suicide bombings in the Sudanese city of Al Qadarif has left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Reports are unconfirmed, but it is believed that both the provincial director and General Bakri Saleh are among those killed in the bombings. If true, it would mean most of the senior leadership tasked to the defense of eastern Sudan were killed in one organized attack.

[Jacques]

"...expecting highs of 22 degrees. Scattered clouds, with chance of rain. This could put a bit of a damper on the EDM festival, but event organizers are prepared and expect that a bit of rain won't prove an issue for this evening's performances. Now back to the big desk for the day's headlines."


"Thanks for that. You going tonight? I'm going to try and make it tomorrow, but depends on traffic."


"Ha! No, I wish. With the traffic delays, it takes me almost two hours to get home!"


"Yeah, I know what you mean! But we're in luck for that. As most of you know by now, with the construction on Settler's Way these past few months, getting anywhere in Capetown has been a bit of a pain. But, this should be..."


"Sorry to interrupt, but there's been some breaking news in Sierra Leone. Apparently the balance of power in the ongoing internal conflict there has taken another dramatic shift. Jacques Danjou, former CEO of the private security company-turned rogue army, Legion Premiere, is making a public statement shortly. We are cutting to that now."


-----

Jacques Danjou walked onto the screen. He was backed by a false wall that was often used by the Sierra Leonean president for his public addresses. He looked tired, the heavy kevlar plate armour he was wearing was something out of an old UN documentary. Strapped to his thigh was an equally old pistol, a 9mm Browning High Power. The olive drab vest was dirty, the fabric across the chest visibly torn from a machete that had failed to get through the thick plate underneath. As he entered the screen, he produced a white Kepi cap and settled it on his head with practiced ease, despite the recent loss of his right hand. The cap covered sweat dampened hair, accentuating his exhaustion paled features, then turned to face the camera.

“As of 1900hrs local time, Interim-President General Wallace-Johnson's illegal seizure of the rightfully elected Sierra Leonean government has ended. Military officers and units that had sworn allegiance to the former General have been killed or arrested with the aid of the Freetown police department, who have proven instrumental in the liberation of the city. I, Jacques Danjou, am currently holding control of the city of Freetown, and soon, all of Sierra Leone. Whether General Katlego and his rebel faction agree or not.”


“General Wallace-Johnson, and most of his top military commanders, have been executed for war crimes and attempted genocide of the Temne people. The slaughter of the refugees, like those near Masiaka. The illegal seizure of public property. Prosecution of the Sierra Leonean people. Murder, rape, assault, extortion. These executions have been carried out on my order. What remains of the forces loyal to the former General are now embroiled in a last-ditch effort to unleash whole-sale slaughter on refugees under the protection of my soldiers.”


He turned slightly, clearly switching his attention to someone off camera, then nodded and moved away from the presidential wall. The camera turned to follow him, revealing the inner workings of the Freetown broadcasting center; in the background was a news desk known to most Sierra Leoneans as where their daily news was shot from. Sierra Leonean police officers were still escorting some of the General's soldiers, the disarmed men cuffed and led away by officers carrying the captured men's assault rifles. Staff of the broadcasting center were working to get cameras and equipment destroyed in a firefight out of the way, and a handful of Legionnaires were vanishing through a doorway, off to the battle at the embassy district.

Jacques accepted a datapad from a waiting police officer, who after delivering it offered an uncertain salute, which Jacques returned with a tired, amused smile at how odd the gesture felt with his missing hand, then gave the man a pat on the shoulder, datapad tucked under his right arm to achieve the gesture, “Going to have to work on that. Thank you.”
He pulled the pad free and glanced at its screen, then turned back to the camera. “Most of the elected government is gone. Fled or killed in the opening days of the fighting. Many have vanished in the days before the General seized control. Most that remained are now in custody, on charges of corruption, and knowing collusion with General Wallace-Johnson.”


He moved back towards the presidential wall, his attention torn between glancing at the camera and working with the datapad, an awkward task with his one remaining hand. The device was old school in regions like the CCD; such things had been long since replaced by Wallets. But he worked with what he had. “Liberian troops have seized much of the south-east. Warlords have crossed the borders from Guinea. And the Temne rebels have proven themselves no better then Wallace-Johnson and his kind. Nigeria is selling weapons and ammunition to the rebels. Religious extremists have brought ruin to Djibouti and Eritrea. Liberia is employing South African mercenaries to justify their seizure of resource-rich Sierra Leonean soil. Guinean warlords are spreading disease. Morocco has ordered the Legion remove itself entirely from their territory. The African Union has refused to mobilize aid for Sierra Leone, or to move to stop the growing power of these terrorists in the east.”


He raised the datapad slightly to draw attention to it, “Fifteen Sierra Leonean police officers, loyal to the people and the future of the people of Sierra Leone, gave their lives today. Seven firefighters were lost while trying to save people trapped in the rubble from the shelling, not to mention the untold dozens of volunteers. And there will be more good men and women lost before this day is through. I promise each man and woman's name will be made known in the coming days. Twenty seven of my Legionnaires have spilt their blood on your soil. Hundreds of soldiers have surrendered rather then fight for an evil cause. But now we have the momentum.”


“Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the most iconic American president, once said 'You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.' I will not rule Sierra Leone. My Legionnaires are not to be your army. Once the rebels have been quelled, the Liberians pushed from your lands, and Guinean warlords and bandits no longer plague your borders, a new government shall be established.”


“To achieve this, I put forward a call to any who have the desire to see things change. No more will people say 'this is Africa' when explaining why something horrible has happened. I need soldiers, of course. Without the gun, peace will be as fleeting as it ever has. Without the gun, the elders will turn again to their old ways. Corruption and hatred, murder and genocide. So I aim to have the most guns. The biggest guns. The sharpest swords, the heaviest armour. But the gun can only buy a fleeting peace.”
As he spoke, links appeared on the news feed; live streams from the F3LIN equipped Legionnaires racing to the embassy district. Power armoured troops covered the ground quickly, able to bypass or leap over obstacles that would have slowed or blocked traditional infantry. Videos of Legionnaires being instructed via video-conference calls with retired foreign soldiers on the use of the M777 artillery, the large pieces of field artillery recently captured by the Panhard convoy that had been escorting the lost convoy of relief supplies.

“But the sharpest of swords cannot hold a true peace. Force begets fear, fear begets hatred, hatred begets violence. A lasting peace is won through education and economy, kindness and forgiveness. For that, I need doctors and teachers. I need farmers and ranchers, industrialists and engineers. Mechanics, psychiatrists, priests and healers. For those who heed this call, I cannot promise your safety. It will not be easy; generations of social degradation, of a known future of pain and suffering. This is what has always fueled that simple phrase, 'This is Africa.'”


Jacques did his best to disguise his sudden decision to sit on the edge of the newsroom desk as a conscious one; his eyes briefly seemed to loose focus, and he tucked the no-longer white bandages covering the stump of his right arm against his chest in an effort to elevate the wound and slow the fresh bleeding. The focus returned with a steadying breath and he set the datapad aside, looking to the camera again.

“Since the twilight days of the Motherland, the Legion has transitioned from Sword to Shield. A shield that has protected the rich, the entitled. After the Battle of Jeddah, we have remembered our origins, after the Battle of Freetown, we have found our stride once more. The Legion Stands. We have turned a blind eye to these atrocities too long. Waited for the governments of the world, the politicians and leaders to stop their petty squabbles, their lust for riches and power. Efforts wasted to appease our investors, hands held tied by 'international law' and economic policies. 'The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but for the silence of good people.'”


Steadied once more, he stood again to risie to his full height, “The Legion shall no longer be silent. General Katlego of the Temne rebels, President Ryan Madison of Liberia, we are coming for you, that you may pay for your crimes. We shall retake the borders of Sierra Leone. Then shall set our sights on Guinea, which has never recovered from the Ebola outbreak so many years ago.”


“To that beleagured land we shall bring clean water. Food, education. Jobs. Hope. An end to the warlords, the would-be kings and self-made gods. To the people of Guinea, I ask you to rise up. To help secure peace for your children. That they may grow and have children of their own. To the people of Liberia, I ask you to call President Madison to answer for his crimes. To your soldiers, that you hold true to your oaths to mirror the morals and desires of the people of Liberia, and not its corrupt government. The same call goes to the people and soldiers of Nigeria. Your government has knowingly sought to arm General Katlego's forces and thus provided the tools for the countless deaths suffered these past weeks.”


He seemed to wave off someone off screen; a brief glimpse of a Legionnaire with a Red Cross armband, marking him as a medic, seen at the camera's edge. “As for the rest of the world? You, who are watching this right now. To you, the greatest challenge I ask. What I ask of you will not earn you riches. I cannot promise your safety. It will not be easy, and may not be welcomed with open arms everywhere I lead. But if you feel you are up to this challenge, to taking steps to making this world a better place, is it not worth it? The Legion stands. We shall not surrender, shall not seek an easier way. We shall no longer turn a blind eye. No longer be silent. To you I ask, that you stand with us.”



Edited by Jacques, Aug 9 2016, 08:54 PM.

[Sage]

As the end of the broadcast switched to the news crew again a message scrolled across every computer in the room, and the news feed itself.

We will help you Jacques Danjou. The collective will stand with you.


*** not seen on screen but there none-the-less ***

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[[ See companion post ]]


Edited by Sage, Aug 10 2016, 06:10 PM.

[Jacques]

"...blaming ongoing budget cuts to national parks, which has allowed such an alarming rise in poaching. Experts now believe there are only five family-groups of roan antelope in the wild, meaning the SANParks agency will again be considering pay cuts and downsizing of operations, while also attempting to replace the seventeen rangers lost this month in the fight against poachers."

"In international news, the conflict in Sierra Leone continues to escalate. The brief respite the nation felt with the surrender of rebel forces to Danjou's mercenaries has finally shattered. In a statement made by Liberian President Ryan Madison announced that he will not rest until Sierra Leone is liberated from the illegal, immoral, and blood-soaked seizure of the nation's capital by the Legion."

"Early reports indicate mechanized Liberian forces advanced towards the capital, and Liberian military sources deny reports that this advance was immediately stalled. Unofficial reports over the past few weeks have indicated major disciplinary issues in the Liberian military, which came in the aftermath of Jacques Danjou's speech after the illegal execution of General Wallace-Johnson, whom had attempted to form an interim government during the civil war."

"Other sources site raids that have disrupted the Liberian military supply lines and attribute these to the crippled morale of Liberian forces in Sierra Leone. President Madison has vowed to bring swift punishment to any Liberian forces that deny orders."

"The first regional discussions on how to deal with the growing threat of Al Janyar collapsed as representatives of seven nations could not agree on terms to establish a coalition force. The set back came hours before the first of a string of suicide bombings in Egypt and Kenya marked the first concerted strikes by Al Janyar in these nations. In the wake of these attacks, Kenyan militias attacked refugee camps, and dozens were killed as Kenyan soldiers repelled the attackers."

"In Egypt, the attacks have sparked the beginning of a series of protests and riots, further destabilizing the government's control over the south-east border."

[Jacques]

"...agreed yesterday to begin accepting, after rigorous screening processes, refugees from across the Somalian border. It is hoped that the camps, even now being built in north-eastern Kenya will be ready to receive an estimated 30,000 refugees over the next week, with more tens of thousands still camped at the borders in efforts to flee Al'Janyar forces.

"The extremist group has recently solidified its hold on much of Egypt, and are feared to be setting their sights on Libya and...

"This just in! Details are still unclear, but reports out of Monrovia, capital of Liberia, claim that a popularist movement against the elected government was able to take control of the Capitol Building. Seven of ten of the nation's Supreme Court Justices passed a declaration that the elected government of President Madison be dissolved, with arrest warrants issued for the President and much of his inner cabinet. Military forces, having faced continual defeat in the conflict against Jacques Danjou's mercenary forces in Sierra Leone, officially surrendered hours before the uprising. In similar news, Sierra Leonean forces, backed by Danjou's mercenary forces, and Algerian expeditionary forces, have taken control of all major urban centers in the failed-state of Guinea. Some regional rulers and warlords are still believed to be active in more rural areas, but civilian uprisings have lead to the formation of militias which have begun siding with the Sierra Leonean forces."