Cobura

[Reddy]

Businessman Founds New Party
March 11, 4250

Alemayehu Abraha a member of the Abraha mining dynasty which owns Kobra Corp, has founded a new political party "United Cobura". Abraha said that he had become motivated to enter politics following the urging of several notables opposed to the communist government. He said United Cobura was to be a centrist party chiefly concerned with the continuity and safety of Cobura as a nation state rather than alien ideologies. The party's set to contest next year's elections and Abraha said he was feeling very confident about the results.


Alemayehu Abraha

Unlike his family's previous party Semayawi, the new one is decidedly less ideological and confrontational. Abraha has delivered his attacks on the Government in a very general manner, simply decrying corruption, inefficiency and the hopelessness of communism. Interestingly he has refused to comment on the Majatran Revolutionary Socialist Federation which Cobura joined a decade ago, pledging only to review the Treaty before making any final decisions if he gets in power.

[Reddy]

Abraha Expresses Disappointment as Ethnic Factions Grip Party
August 4251

United Cobura leader Alemayehu Abraha has spoken of his disappointment at how ethnic factions have already "overtaken" his party following its landslide election victory in May. The party won 70% of the votes thus easily garnering the two thirds majority so necessary for many its plans. To the dismay of Abraha and other leading unionists, the question of restoring the monarchy quickly proved a thorny one in party deliberations. Augustan and Mallan legislators objected to the restoration of the old Irkawan dominated Lordship and instead demanded a tripartite monarchy with each of the three great ethnicities, Augustans, Mallans and irkawans getting a subnational monarchy of their own. Abraha whose political nous was based on restoring the monarchy for Irkawans assented to the demands of the other groups, agreeing to recreate the ancient Kingdom of Domale for the Mallan people and a Despotate of Egato for the Coburan Augustans. He was able to successfully insist on one common monarch but had to give room and accept "kingdom based federalism" which will see a great deal of power on domestic issues devolved to the new kingdoms.


Incoming Kandake Makeda

After that, everyone agreed on the monarchy. The Irkawans proposed a candidate in Makeda, the Godswife (high priestess) at the Temple of Atēm. A descendant of the Saksoure monarchy through a minor branch, Makeda has been a silent supporters of the anti-communist movement in the nation accepted the offer, asking for the ancient title of Kandake. The 36 year old Godswife was easily acceptable to the Augustans being half-Augustan herself; the Mallans accepted as well, apparently with certain unpublicised promises from Abraha and other leading UC members. Thus for now, everyone is content to get on with the business of peacefully replacing the communist Derg regime. It is abundantly clear to Abraha that his dream of a united and centralised nation will have to remain just that - a dream.

[Reddy]

Abraha Government Collapses
April 4252

Grand Vizier Alemayehu Abraha's 9 month old government has collapsed following a split in his party United Cobura. The party has been racked by internal ethnic based dissension and factionalism. Most Irkawan members have rallied together behind their new formation the Irkawan Traditionalist Party while many of Abraha's fellow Domaleans have defied him and rallied to Trade Vizier Domalia Berhane's Blue (Semayawi) while Augustans formed their own Democratic Federalist Party of Egato. It was after this that Abraha resigned and the three parties who still remain in a formal and permanent coalition began haggling and agreed to create a new government led by Domalia Berhane. An economist by training, Berhane will be trading posts with her former boss Abraha who has agreed to remain in Government as Trade Vizier.


Incoming Grand Vizier Domalia Berhane


Cobura Welcomes Kazulian SM

Cobura has hostedKazulian Statsminister Aleksander Frydenlund during his Majatran tour. The Statsminster met several high officials of state and according to External Affairs Vizier Boutros Sawiris, a frank discussion was had on a number of issues. Cobura appears to have approached the issues raised by Frydenlund on its MRSF membership somewhat, focusing more on trade and economic issues. Frydenland's opinion is however hardly an unpopular one with his negative view of Cobura's continued membership in the MRSF increasingly shared by many Coburan policy makers.



Kandake Weds Mallan Nobleman


Prince Consort Yohannes

Kandake Makeda I has married Ras Yohannes Zgmat a 46 year old nobleman from Domale. The pair were married at the Temple of Atem in Sharba, a first marriage for both the 37 year old Kandake and the Ras. Ras Yohannes is to be granted the title of "Prince Consort" and has been named an Honorary Admiral of the Coburan Fleet. The marriage will hopefully create more support for the monarchy in Domale, the only one of the Kandake's three kingdoms where she has no blood ties. The monarchy is far becoming one of the more stable and trusted institutions in Cobura as ethnic political flares discredit governments all across the country.

[Reddy]

Political Instability Continues as Berhane Cabinet Falls Over MRSF
February 4253

Cobura's federal government is fast becoming one of the most politically unstable political units in Terra. A second government has fallen in just 18 months, this time Grand Vizier Domalia Berhane resigning after a dispute over remaining in the MRSF. Her Semayawi is part of the tripartite "United Cobura" alliance which currently commands a majority together in the Royal Assembly. The dispute is only the latest of a number of usually ethnically tinged disputes in United Cobura which tend to paralyse the Government regularly. Berhane had refused to initiate proceedings to leave the MRSF as demanded by several members of her Cabinet. It is unclear who will replace Berhane as Grand Vizier as the coalition has not yet presented a candidate. The chaos has thrust the Kandake into the political spotlight, forcing the head of state to make an intervention into the government forming process. The Kandake has called on the political parties to act responsibly and present a new coalition government as soon as possible. She also asked Viziers to remain in office in an acting capacity, a request which most Viziers have accepted.


A gold mine in Addis Amkä

Despite the political instability, the country's doing rather well by other measures. The Kingdom level governments are proving stable enough and have been able to undertake several projects of note and even attract considerable amounts of foreign investment such as the 160 million Cobur investment by the Kazulian Critical Investment and Stabilisation Fund into a mining project in Addis Amkä, Domale. The dysfunctionality of the federal government whose power is restricted mainly to areas concerned with national security and finance is even viewed favourably by some in libertarian circles as preventing the creation and enforcement of federal regulations and thus promoting free enterprise. It seems that this might just be the reality with the Central Bank predicting a significant uptick in growth in the next two years.

[Reddy]

New Government Appointed
August 4253

A new government has been appointed after six months of tense negotiations. The government will be led by Lij Getachew Fegeta a Domalean baron from the Semayawi Party. The negotiations saw considerable intervention by the Palace with the Kandake staying very involved in a mostly advisory role. Lij Fegeta the incoming Grand Vizier says his priority will be to direct the Council of Viziers to decide on Cobura's fate with regards to the Majatran Revolutionary Socialist Federation and to also carry out a long overdue reform of the Armed Forces. It remains to be seen if his Cabinet will prove to be just the latest in a series of short lived governments or finally manages to break the established trend of short lifespans.


Lij Getachew Fegeta

The worrying trend of instability on the federal level deemed to be '"Jelbek anarchy" by some, now seems to be seeping into the Kingdom levels governments which have become increasingly unstable as well. In just nine months, all three Kingdom level governments of Irkawa, Domale and Egato fell over minor issues connected to the conflicts in the federal government. There's a rising view that the current constitutional dispensation cannot stand and might even be dangerous for the country in the long run particularly with it being located in such a dangerous corner of Terra.

[Reddy]

Kandake Proclaims State of Exception
October 4253


Kandake Makeda I

The Kandake has made her first decisive intervention into politics by refusing to accept the resignation of her third Grand Vizier in less than two years. Grand Vizier Lij Getachew Fegeta had visited the Palace too hand in his resignation after the Royal Assembly passed a motion of no-confidence in a junior Vizier. The motion came just two months after his installation as head of government. The Kandake rejected his resignation and instead proclaimed a state of exception allowing extra-constitutional powers for her and her Viziers. The state of exception will allow the Council of Viziers to rule by decree and greatly enhance the Kandake's own powers. The government is thus no longer responsible to the Royal Assembly according to the Kandake and her court although this point is not excessively clear, constitutionally speaking.

Upon reappointing Lij Fegeta, the Kandake ordered him and his Council to begin implementing constitutional reforms to rein in what she views as an anarchic constitution and take measures to enhance public security as well. Her moves while undemocratic in essence have been welcomed by many Coburans who were becoming increasingly troubled with the ever rising political instability which was blamed squarely on the Royal Assembly and the ruling coalition.

[Reddy]

"Reset" With Zardugal
March 4254


External Affairs Vizier Sawiris meeting a Zardic diplomat


The Kandake has directed Vizier for External Affairs Boutros Sawiris to begin a "reset" in relations with Cobura's northern neigbour and frequent rival Zardugal. The Kandake began the process by exchanging letters with the Zardic leader Olimpio Gracchus where the two leaders expressed agreement on the pro-stability Zardic-MRSF Agreement which the Kandake has signed and has asked the Royal Assembly to ratify the Agreement. Cobura's deeply concerned at possible contagion from the Badaran civil war and has proclaimed itself in favour of legitimate national governments whenever they are challenged by rebels and has also committed itself to preserving and strengthening the MRSF as a bloc. This is hardly surprising given the country's own recent brush with political instability and the fact the MRSF while unwieldy has apparently stabilised some of its very historically unstable members, something Cobura appreciates. The trade benefits of being in the MRSF are also obviously welcome thus earning support for it in Cobura's business community.

Senior policy analysts however greet this supposed reset with some skepticism given just how many issues the two countries have historically had between them, perhaps most notably the war over Tokundi independence. Some analysts even view this as a cynical move by Cobura to hold off Zardugal while it shops around for an anti-Zardic alliance and stabilises its domestic political scene. Sawiris has dismissed such concerns and points out that it is in the national interest of both countries to get along and that the issues between them will see serious attempts directed at resolving them in the coming years.

[Reddy]

Cobura Responds To "Regional Instability"
January 4256

The fall of al'Badara to the opposition Coalition and apparent subsequent instability in the country has apparently spooked Cobura into a frenzy of security related moves. Following a meeting of the Supreme Council of Security, Home Affairs Vizier Esperanta Tondra has deployed extra policing units in the areas close to the Zardic border and has hinted that the border might be closed down if the "turmoil" in Zardugal continues. Her Cabinet counterpart Tedros Mengistu the Vizier for War said that there could be deployment of extra troops to the Zardic and Jakanian borders if the situation deteriorated. The Coburans fear that the notoriously and historically unstable Jakania might just prove a door for elements of instability into Cobura. In line with the diplomatic reset, the Kandake and her Viziers consulted with the Zardic leader and alerted him to possible troop movements in the border area, attempting to assure him that there would only be a precautionary security measure and not directed at Zardugal.

A number of security experts have criticised the moves as heavy handed and directed at "something else." Retired intelligence chief Omar al-Suleimani commented on the country's response, dismissing the turmoil in Zardugal as just a "handful of bored protesters" and predicted that the Coalition victory in al'Badara would not affect Cobura as the factors that caused the conflict are not replicated on the Coburan domestic political scene. He called on the Government to accept the change in al'Badara, recognise both the Coalition and the "fact" that Beiteynu was now one of the most powerful nations on the Majatran continent however distasteful that Cobura might find this new reality.

[Auditorii]

Dorvish President offers assistance to Coburan's following regional instability

[Reddy]

Cobura Deploys Extra Troops In Zardic Border Region
January 4256



A spokesman for the Department for War has announced that Cobura has deployed an extra 7,500 troops in the region surrounding its border with Zardugal and hinted at the possibility of further deployments. The War Department has stressed that the move was not directed at Zardugal but rather aimed at containing any possible spilling of what the Department called "chronic and apparently endless instability in Zardugal for the past quarter century" The country apparently just cannot settle on a constitutional dispensation with monarchists ousting republicans after mass protests who themselves ousted monarchists only a few years earlier. A perhaps conveniently leaked Coburan intelligence report predicted a full blown civil war in the country within a decade over the monarchist v republican issue, something which has been dismissed as "fantasy" by several foreign policy experts

Cobura Declines Dorvik Offer

External Affairs Vizier Boutros Sawiris has thanked Dorvik for its offer to help out with containing regional instability but has declined the offer saying that Cobura would prove able to deal with any regional insecurity affecting it. He said that the Government did welcome all forms of cooperation with any nation and viewed the construction of a "Majatran system" as key to improving the stability of the chronically unstable continent . Sawiris took the opportunity to slam Dundorf for re-legalising slavery and racial segregation among other human rights regressions perhaps hinting that Dorvik would best focus on its own neighbourhood. OOC: This is dated before the slavery legalisation was reversed in Dundorf.