- Pronouns
- He/Him, They/Them
A burgeoning political crisis has escalated in Naizerre as the country's President, High Chief Mboto Jones, suggested in a televised address that National Militia troops could be sent into the troubled city of Togbata if the Mayor and Police continued to refuse to violently disperse a protest over a proposed new law that would eliminate double jeopardy protections.
The law, proposed by the National Law and Order Party, a member of Jones' ruling coalition, would remove a clause from the constitution that prevents repeated prosecutions for the same offence following an acquittal (or less likely a conviction). Sources close to the President have suggested he isn't supportive of the effort, although in the same address he also said that "not guilty does not mean innocent". Vice President and former soccer player Jardim has publicly come out against the law, and his People's Alliance Party is a larger and more important member of the coalition than Peter Barrow's NLOP.
The protest in Togbata has paralysed the city, which is Naizerre's largest port and is the entry point for more than half of Naizerre's imports, and a third of exports. Originally numbering just a few hundred, in the last week the daily marches have swelled to the tens of thousands as port workers - angry at government attempts to suppress their powerful union - have joined.
Mboto Jones ordered the city's mayor, Togbata Alliance Party leader Francois Jarolim, to break up the protest two days ago but he refused, instead entering into talks with the protest leaders to ensure the marches remained peaceful. The results of the talks was that the port continued to operate, but at limited capacity and construction of the Diplomats Quarter continued. The massive complex will be where the embassies of foreign nations are to be located, although some have criticised it for not being in the capital. In return for these concessions, police will only shadow the marches and won't seek to break them up, Togbata's police chief said.
The protest comes at a time when the Mboto Jones regime is increasingly mired in scandal and controversy. Last week Foreign Minister Tsubo Tsango and his entire ministry resigned in protest at Mboto Jones blocking a formal protest against the invasion of Jacksonville by Ninhudenland. Jacksonville is the final stages of a damaging civil war and Tsango felt that the Ninhudenland invasion was serious enough to warrant a formal protest. Another government figure, Securities Minister Uraba Roland, was forced to resign after it became known that he was contracting out debts to his own private company. It has since come to light that Roland was involved in suppressing domestic abuse allegations against an unnamed deputy, after leaked footage appeared to show him organising a pay off for the deputy's wife.
Outside City Council Hall, Togbata
The largest protest march every seen in a Naizerri city had ambled its way down from the port to the city centre, stopping at the Council Hall in the early afternoon. Tens of thousands had joined the march on the way, with even police officers joining the march. National Militia troops had entered the city that night, but had stopped in the Diplomats Quarter when ordered to do so by the police, who had armed themselves for the first time since the Bush War ended. The mayor had de-escalated the situation, and the Militia had agreed not to advance further. Still, it had made Francois Jarolim concerned enough to call out his own supporters to join the protest, and he marched at its head.
"75,000 people. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Mboto Jones and Peter Barrow that we do not accept them and their goro. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Mboto Jones that we do not accept your incompetence. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Peter Barrow that we do not accept your fascism, your evil. Mboto Jones once spoke of the air gangsterism of eastern Marä, of their oppression and their imperialism. Today I tell you, Mboto Jones, you have become what you condemned!"
The crowd roared their approval of Francois Jarolim's words. This was a blistering attack on the High Chief, and one of the first public condemnations of him in a decade of power.
"Mboto Jones, you were once nyîtâ to these people. You said you had entered into a mbûki with them. You said you would bring mbëlä and wärängö-nginza to the Marä. You gave Togbata a sêyângâ. You said Togbata would remain free. You said the Marä would remain free. Today I say you have committed tïkïsängö against the Marä, you nyîwanda! Nyîwanda I name you! Nyîwanda tïkïsängö! I challenge you and I challenge your goro!"
The crowd pressed closer to the platform Francois Jarolim was on, cheering him and his speech. No one had considered this was even possible and many on social media were proclaiming the end of Mboto Jones and the rise of the Togbata Alliance as a national force.
"Today I say to the Marä of Naizerre that the Togbata Alliance is no more. Today I present to the Marä and the Mokili the new force in the Marä: the Naizerri People's Alliance. We will fight the goro of Mboto Jones and Peter Barrow and we will press for elections as soon as possi-" Francois Jarolim's words were cut off as he was engulfed in an explosion from the front of the crowd. Dozens died instantly and even more in the crush as people fled. Police and other emergency services rushed into try to help people, and the dock workers union quickly deployed them to help move rubble after buildings collapsed.
Far away in the capital, Mboto Jones struggled to suppress a smile as his cabinet watched in shock at the end of one of Naizerre's most famous figures.
The law, proposed by the National Law and Order Party, a member of Jones' ruling coalition, would remove a clause from the constitution that prevents repeated prosecutions for the same offence following an acquittal (or less likely a conviction). Sources close to the President have suggested he isn't supportive of the effort, although in the same address he also said that "not guilty does not mean innocent". Vice President and former soccer player Jardim has publicly come out against the law, and his People's Alliance Party is a larger and more important member of the coalition than Peter Barrow's NLOP.
The protest in Togbata has paralysed the city, which is Naizerre's largest port and is the entry point for more than half of Naizerre's imports, and a third of exports. Originally numbering just a few hundred, in the last week the daily marches have swelled to the tens of thousands as port workers - angry at government attempts to suppress their powerful union - have joined.
Mboto Jones ordered the city's mayor, Togbata Alliance Party leader Francois Jarolim, to break up the protest two days ago but he refused, instead entering into talks with the protest leaders to ensure the marches remained peaceful. The results of the talks was that the port continued to operate, but at limited capacity and construction of the Diplomats Quarter continued. The massive complex will be where the embassies of foreign nations are to be located, although some have criticised it for not being in the capital. In return for these concessions, police will only shadow the marches and won't seek to break them up, Togbata's police chief said.
The protest comes at a time when the Mboto Jones regime is increasingly mired in scandal and controversy. Last week Foreign Minister Tsubo Tsango and his entire ministry resigned in protest at Mboto Jones blocking a formal protest against the invasion of Jacksonville by Ninhudenland. Jacksonville is the final stages of a damaging civil war and Tsango felt that the Ninhudenland invasion was serious enough to warrant a formal protest. Another government figure, Securities Minister Uraba Roland, was forced to resign after it became known that he was contracting out debts to his own private company. It has since come to light that Roland was involved in suppressing domestic abuse allegations against an unnamed deputy, after leaked footage appeared to show him organising a pay off for the deputy's wife.
Outside City Council Hall, Togbata
The largest protest march every seen in a Naizerri city had ambled its way down from the port to the city centre, stopping at the Council Hall in the early afternoon. Tens of thousands had joined the march on the way, with even police officers joining the march. National Militia troops had entered the city that night, but had stopped in the Diplomats Quarter when ordered to do so by the police, who had armed themselves for the first time since the Bush War ended. The mayor had de-escalated the situation, and the Militia had agreed not to advance further. Still, it had made Francois Jarolim concerned enough to call out his own supporters to join the protest, and he marched at its head.
"75,000 people. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Mboto Jones and Peter Barrow that we do not accept them and their goro. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Mboto Jones that we do not accept your incompetence. 75,000 of you, my nyîtâ, to tell Peter Barrow that we do not accept your fascism, your evil. Mboto Jones once spoke of the air gangsterism of eastern Marä, of their oppression and their imperialism. Today I tell you, Mboto Jones, you have become what you condemned!"
The crowd roared their approval of Francois Jarolim's words. This was a blistering attack on the High Chief, and one of the first public condemnations of him in a decade of power.
"Mboto Jones, you were once nyîtâ to these people. You said you had entered into a mbûki with them. You said you would bring mbëlä and wärängö-nginza to the Marä. You gave Togbata a sêyângâ. You said Togbata would remain free. You said the Marä would remain free. Today I say you have committed tïkïsängö against the Marä, you nyîwanda! Nyîwanda I name you! Nyîwanda tïkïsängö! I challenge you and I challenge your goro!"
The crowd pressed closer to the platform Francois Jarolim was on, cheering him and his speech. No one had considered this was even possible and many on social media were proclaiming the end of Mboto Jones and the rise of the Togbata Alliance as a national force.
"Today I say to the Marä of Naizerre that the Togbata Alliance is no more. Today I present to the Marä and the Mokili the new force in the Marä: the Naizerri People's Alliance. We will fight the goro of Mboto Jones and Peter Barrow and we will press for elections as soon as possi-" Francois Jarolim's words were cut off as he was engulfed in an explosion from the front of the crowd. Dozens died instantly and even more in the crush as people fled. Police and other emergency services rushed into try to help people, and the dock workers union quickly deployed them to help move rubble after buildings collapsed.
Far away in the capital, Mboto Jones struggled to suppress a smile as his cabinet watched in shock at the end of one of Naizerre's most famous figures.
nyîtâ - brother
goro - corruption
Marä - nation/national identity
mbûki - blood pact
mbëlä - order
wärängö-nginza - prosperity
sêyângâ - promise
tïkïsängö - betrayal
nyîwanda - bastard
Mokili - the world
goro - corruption
Marä - nation/national identity
mbûki - blood pact
mbëlä - order
wärängö-nginza - prosperity
sêyângâ - promise
tïkïsängö - betrayal
nyîwanda - bastard
Mokili - the world
