Mina

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al-Mina al-Yawmi
Mina Today is a national newspaper dedicated to bringing daily news from Mina
Royal Development Authority announces Sea of Carina offshore platform project.
February, 5349

Wad Mabelat - Royal Development Authority Chairman Sadoon el-Younis announced that Mina had contracted with Offshore Energy Structures Inc, a multinational corporation which specializes in the building of offshore oil rigs. The RDA announced that they would be dedicating approximately $350m LOD to the construction and initial operations to an offshore oil rig located in the Sea of Carina, something that is likely to draw the ire of the Mosriak Democratic Republic and the Grand Duchy of Ostland. "The development of energy independence of Mina and the ability to market oil to nations on Dovani and around the globe is a massive component of our success." The RDA has created the Mina Petroleum Corporation (MPC/MinaPetro) in order to handle all activities related to the construction of the offshore facility. The RDA held a conference to invite potential investors into the fold regarding the Mina Petroleum Corporation, the al-Mahdi family announced that they would be investing approximately $57m LOD directly into the development of the MPC, which as it stands currently, makes it one of the largest private stakeholders in the corporation. According to engineers from Offshore Energy Structures, Inc the project is expected to take 4 to 6 years depending on weather and some other variables. Emir Zaahir Salaah al-Mahdi welcomed the development and according to sources close to the al-Mahdi family the Emir personally pushed the project during several Council of Minister meetings despite the fact that it will likely generate regional controversy. Should the project in the Sea of Carina yield positive results, it is likely that the Royal Development Corporation will seek to further develop the oil fields in the Sea of Carina.

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al-Mina al-Yawmi
Mina Today is a national newspaper dedicated to bringing daily news from Mina
Republican Guard expands underneath guise of Emir's younger brother.
March, 5350


Republican Guard Commander General Bakar Sayyif al-Mahdi inspects troops of the Republican Guard.

Wad Mabelat - Republican Guard Commander General Bakar Sayyif al-Mahdi announced the expansion of the Republican Guard to include the "Special Republican Guard Command" which includes the new Emirate Protection Unit and the Republican Guard Intelligence Organization (RGIO). The Emirate Protection Unit will be dedicated to the protection of the Emir and the immediate royal family, including the protection of the Palace of the Emir and the Presidential Palace, now occupied by the Prime Minister. The initial unit is expected to be approximately platoon or company size according to the press release from the Ministry of Information and Communication and will be made up of professional soldiers. The Republican Guard Intelligence Organization, according to the press release, will assist the General Intelligence Directorate in their duties, especially in the internal security duties and domestic intelligence. Critics of the regime believe this will grant carte blanche to the Republican Guard to continue their long history of cracking down on dissidents and abusing human rights but representatives from Ministry of Information and Communication denied this. "The Republican Guard has filled an internal security role for decades and has a long storied history that includes protecting the people of Mina and protecting the government of Mina from all sorts of threats. Any comments regarding human rights abuses or violation of constitutionally protected rights are simply untrue."

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Akhbar al-Jumhuria - Republic News
Mina's only opposition newspaper.
APRIL 5350 | Royal Minan Army increases deployment in southern Mina, Emir to visit.

Synopsis

• Emir Zaahir Salaah al-Mahdi, as Commander-in-Chief, has authorized the further deployment of the Armed Forces of Mina to the Governorates of al-Managil and Er Rabat.
• Minister of Defense Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi expected to visit area in coming weeks.

Southern Mina - Emir Zaahir Salaah al-Mahdi announced that the Royal Minan Army would being advancing additional deployments in the Minan Governorates of al-Mangail and Er Rabat. "Nefa has long suffered underneath the mismanagement and corruption of the Kitemban Union. We do not wish for conflict or war but we stand prepared following a series of terrorist attacks against Minan citizens in Nefa by those who are associated with the Kitemban Union's infrastructure." Officials from the Ministry of Defense announced that the 2nd Infantry Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Brigade were being deployed to al-Managil and Er Rabat. The Ministry of Defense has setup an ad hoc headquarters in Kubak (Er Rabat) and a secondary one in Suti (al-Managil), Minister of Defense Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi, brother of the Emir, is expected to make a visit to the Kubak headquarters in the coming weeks and some suspect that this might be the start of potential combat operations into Nefa. The Emir is also expected to visit the area in the coming weeks and according to sources close to the General Intelligence Directorate and the new Republican Guard Intelligence Organization have deployed increased resources to the area.

Sources close to the Emir have noted that the Emir has voiced displeasure with that state of the Armed Forces of Mina and has approached several nations about supporting rebuilding efforts. According to Gath Defense Collective the Minan Armed Forces consist mostly of light infantry in technical-like vehicles. The Republican Guard is the most well equipped as well as the Royal Minan Army's 1st Armored Brigade which is deployed to forward positions in al-Managil and Er Rabat. The Royal Minan Air Force remains relatively modern but has a lack of flight hours and generally is poorly supplied, something that Defense Minister al-Mahdi has sought to correct in his short time in office. The Royal Minan Navy is basically non-existent will likely find themselves a customer of someone, likely the Majatran Organization for Industrialization (MOI).

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Khidmat al-Bathi al-Hukumia
The State Broadcasting Service is an official government media source provided by the Ministry of Information and Communication.
MARCH 5351 | EMIR AND ROYAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO MAKE COFFEE A STAPLE OF MINAN ECONOMY

Wad Mabelat: Emir Zaahir Salaah al-Mahdi announced today that the Minan government would begin investing heavily in the cultivation and production of Coffea dovanica, or Dovani coffee. Mina, as an integral component of trade between the Emirate of Quanzar and Dovani, was a focal point for Majatran-based traders to import coffee to the continent, a part of the reason that Mina was incredibly wealth was due to the fact that Mina shares a suitable climate for the production of coffee beans. The Emir announced a $10m LOD investment in the coffee industry of Mina, a neglected sector of the economy that last year produced only 1.3% of the overall GDP of Mina. "Coffee is an integral crop to the success of Mina and the wider success of the continent of Dovani. Mina once was the world leader in the cultivation and production of Coffea dovanica but in recent centuries has slipped due to government negligence, poor investment and overall instability in the regions where the coffee bean grows in the wild, one of the only places in the world where this happens. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment the Ad Damahir Plateau is one of the few places in the world where Coffea dovanica grows in the wild, giving Mina an excellent renewable resource.

While the Emir himself is investing a considerable amount into the production and cultivation of coffee in the nation, the Royal Development Authority has allocated additional funding towards the venture as well. According to Sadoon el-Younis, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Development Authority, the RDA will provide an addition $7.3m LOD to the project and will host the first bi-annual Mina Coffee Brewers Conference to be held in May, 5351 in the capital of Wad Mabelat. While the Royal Development Authority will focus the topics on coffee, brewing and coffee-related technology, its is likely that the Emir and the Royal Development Authority will seek to use the MCBC to attract investment into the Minan coffee industry as well as generally display that Mina is turning a new page in its political history of instability.

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Akhbar al-Jumhuria - Republic News
Mina's only opposition newspaper.
OCTOBER 5352 | CRISIS IN NEFA: MINA UNVEILS NEW ARMORED PLANT, CONTINUED BUILD UP AND FOREIGN SUPPORT

Southern Mina - First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi, brother of the Emir, announced that the Royal Development Authority alongside the Ministry of Defense had unveiled the construction of a large-scale armored vehicle plant located outside the capital of Wad Mabelat in the city of Umm Keddaber. The Military Industry Corporation of Mina, founded by by the Emir and his brother, the Minister of Defense, is responsible for the production of military equipment under license in Mina. According to reports by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff the armored vehicle plant in Umm Keddaber will be fully operational in 4 years with expertise being provided by several consulting firms from Yingdala, Trigunia and other nations around the world. When operational the facility will be able to locally produce, under license from the Majatran Organization for Industrialization the T-72B3M and the Yingdalan-based Type 85-II main battle tank in limited numbers and according the Emir, grant the nation the ability to develop a truly independent ability to defend itself. While this might be the case in the mind of the Emir, Mina will still have to rely on both legitimate and illegitimate arms deals to furnish their armed forces and the Republican Guard. The plant will also have maintenance and repair bays for armored vehicles, while a centralized location is less than ideal Umm Keddaber is connected to a major railway connection in Mina and serves as a freight hub for materials, equipment and trade within Mina as a whole.

While the Emir and the Minister of Defense shared the spotlight on the State Broadcasting Service discussing the plans to revolutionize the defense industry in Mina, there has been continued significant troop and equipment build up in al-Managil and Er Rabat. This is the largest increase since the start of the deployments of the Royal Minan Army and the Republican Guard began in October, 5348. Members from Gath Defense Collective cite significant logistical delays and shortcomings including at one point the Royal Minan Army not having enough gas for their armored vehicles. According to GDC members, these situations have been rectified but the extended buildup has been a thorn in the side of the Emir and his brother, the Minister of Defense. The GDC has speculated that while the deployments have been an on-going process, the Abdul Kaliq has been bringing in mercenaries and "foreign military consultants" to assist in training his forces while they prepare for a potential invasion into Nefa.

Republic News' "Crisis in Nefa" series explores the on-going occupation of Nefa by the Kitemban Union (KU) and the potential outbreak of hostilities in Nefa between Mina and the KU.

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Ost Sicherheitsbrief
Eastern Security Brief
Crisis in Nefa: Mina invades occupied state of Nefa.
March 5353


A Kitemban Union armored fighting vehicle burned out after engaging with the 1st and 2nd Republican Guard Brigades.

SOUTHERN MINA Forces from the Royal Minan Army and the Republican Guard have begun attacks on Kitemban Union positions along the border of Nefa, al-Managil and Er Rabat. According to sources on the ground the Royal Minan Army began shelling positions of the Kitemban Union forces in the early morning, the first barrage began firing at approximately 0407 local time, these barrages continued for approximately 2 hours and were aimed at Kitemban Union military postions. While this was on-going, the Royal Minan Air Force (RMAF) began conducting strikes against those same positions. The Royal Minan Air Force's 11 Squadron (equipped with 7 SU-24MK fighter-bombers) and the 90 Squadron (equipped with 7 SU-24MK fighter-bombers) began attack runs on Kitemban forces, these units however have been plagued by poor maintenance and mechanical errors; something that has been ill reported in Mina following the launch of attacks. According to Gath Defense Collective's sources, only 6 of the total 14 were operational and in the beginning hours of the attack, 2 of the SU-24's were shot down with relative ease by Kitemban air defenses.

These rolling artillery barrages were followed up by attacks by the 1st Republican Guard Brigade (Armored) and the 2nd Republican Guard Brigade (Mechanized/Motorized) aimed at capturing the notable border towns of Nifi and Makish; the two towns serving as outpost for the Kitemban forces monitoring the build-up of Minan forces. Nifi, located closest to al-Managil and Makish, located closest to Er Rabat, have served as vital outposts for the Kitemban Union forces and should they be captured will serve as a stark reminder of when these same towns were conquered in November 4841. The 1st Republican Guard Brigade, the most well equipped fighting unit within the Armed Forces of Mina and the Republican Guard is being personally lead by the commander of the Republican Guard, General Bakar Sayyif al-Mahdi, the youngest brother of the Emir and the so-called "Lion of Mina". Reports from Gath Defense Collective have Republican Guard forces engaged in both the Nifi and Makish fronts.

According to reports the Republican Guard were followed up by the joint paramilitary of the Ba'athist and the Minan Communist Party known as the General Military Council of Minan Revolutionaries, a relatively well-equipped and well-trained fighting force that has acted as regime support since entering into an agreement with the Mahdist.

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Ost Sicherheitsbrief
Eastern Security Brief
Crisis in Nefa: Minan advances across Nefa but at a dire cost.
Mid Feburary 5354


On-going conflict map of Minan invasion of Nefa.

SOUTHERN MINA The invasion of Nefa, or as the Minan government has called it "The Reclamation", has experienced a lul following the end of New Year campaigns by the Royal Minan Army and the Republican Guard. As it stands, the Minan forces have made sweeping advances following the capture of Nifi and Makish in March, 5353, battles that both lasted nearly a month before the Kitemban Union forces withdrew to different positions throughout Nefa. Following the launch of combat operations in March, 5353 with the 1st Republican Guard Brigade (RPB) and the 1st Battalion of the General Military Councils of Minan Revolutions (GMCMR) sieging the heavily fortified border city of Nifi, the two units began a month-long siege of the heavily defended city. The 1st Republican Guard Brigade, with their relatively high level of training and well-equipped nature made easy work of the Kitemban Union forces in the city following 2 weeks of intense fighting. Commander of the Republican Guard and the commanding officer of the 1st Republican Guard Brigade, General Bakar Sayyif al-Mahdi declared victory in the city but was halted from continuing his efforts until late June, 5353 as he was forced into counter-insurgency efforts and sweeping reprisal actions against Kitemban Union loyalist and supporters. In late June, 5353 General al-Mahdi declared the city pacified but after heavy casualties and several assassination attempts, he was forced to leave the 1st Battalion of the GMCMR in the city to serve as a security force; something that the 1st Battalion has handled with terrifying efficiency.

The 1st Armored Brigade of the Royal Minan Army was considered to be "fully operational" and at "maximum readiness" according to the Ministry of Defense in late June, 5353 after a series of logistical problems that forced them to delay their attack on the port city of Solifida. The 1st Armored Brigade, commanded personally by Minister of Defense Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi, who was awarded the prestigious rank of Field Marshal of the Armed Forces of Mina shortly before combat operations began in March, 5353, commanded the 1st Armored Brigade with cunning efficiency and swiftly encircled the city with a mixture of al-Khalid II main battle tanks, Trigunian-built T-72 main battle tanks and the few active Trigunian-built Mi-35 "Hind" attack helicopters. Solifida was defended moderately as a bulk of the KU forces resided in Nifi and the former Royal Minan Air Force base of Umm Dashir, where the 2nd Battalion of the GMCMR attacked and captured following a brutal siege that lasted until the early days of August, 5353. The 2nd Battalion of the GMCMR was combat ineffective according to leaked reports from the Ministry of Defense but were forced to lick their wounds but were pressed further into service when the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the Royal Minan Army was forced to attack the city of Kharnagil following a KU incursion into Er Rabat and the capture of several villages in southern Er Rabat.

The 2nd Infantry Brigade and the 2nd Battalion of the GMCMR engaged in heavy fighting with the KU forces, mostly underequipped and the 2nd Battalion of the GMCMR were essentially destroyed before the KU forces retreated east towards Touibarka. Lieutenant Colonel Badri al-Sabir, a Ba'athist officer, protested Ministry of Defense orders to assist the 2nd Infantry Brigade's sweeping advance to attempt to eliminate KU forces retreating to Touibarka. The Ministry of Defense and Field Marshal al-Mahdi were forced to press the 3rd Infantry Brigade, which was still forming into service in November of 5353 when they attacked an exhausted and poorly supplied KU force in Touibarka, quickly eliminating the force and capturing the city. The 2nd Infantry Brigade and 3rd Infantry Brigade were dispatched to take the city of Umm Keddalaib and finally captured the city after a siege that lasted from late November 5353 to the middle of January of this year. The city remains engaged heavily in an insurgency by pro-Kitemban Union supporters.

The brothers, General Bakar Sayyif al-Mahdi (Republican Guard) and Field Marshal Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi (Ministry of Defense), joined forces to siege of the Nefan regional capital of Masset and secure Masset Airport which would allow re-supply efforts to begin in the central hub of Nefa. The combined might of the 1st Republican Guard Brigade and the 1st Armored Brigade quickly overwhelmed the minimal forces that resided in Masset, the capture of Masset in September and general lack of resistance in the city prompted both the 1st Republican Guard Brigade and the 1st Armored Brigade to conduct a fighting sprint through the port cities of al-Jahud (October, 5353) and Kosda (January, 5354) where they reside currently being resupplied and dispatching units to maintain their gains.

In the east of Nefa, the 2nd Republican Guard Brigade supported by the 4th Battalion of the GMCMR launched a 5 month siege of Makish, where the bulk of the Kitemban Union forces were located and heavy urban fighting heavily taxed the 2nd Republican Guard Brigade and they were forced to rely heavily on the support form the more experienced and battle hardened 4th Battalion of the GMCMR. The 4th Battalion of the GMCMR, lead by Major General Ridwaan el-Qazi (Minan Communist Party) is a hardened militia commander who has dubious ties to several far-left terrorist groups across the globe and is an experienced commander. The 4th Battalion, equipped with MOI-built Khalifa self-propelled artillery pieces and a handful of MOI-built Jobaria MLRS, which were utilized effectively as terror weapons and destroyed large parts of Makish that will ultimately have to be rebuilt as a means to flush out the defenders of the city. Lieutenant General Abdur Raqeeb el-Bagheri, the commander of the 2nd Republican Guard Brigade, was forced to remain in the city following the end of combat operations in late July, 5353 and await reinforcements from the Republican Guard training centers. Major General el-Qazi sprinted for Metbel, a border city near Liore that has served as a reinforcement base for the Kitemban Union forces since the beginning of the invasion. In late August, 5353 the Republican Guard Forces Command pressed Lieutenant General Abdur Raqeeb el-Bagheri into action and he fought a bloody advance towards Geneigo where the 2nd Republican Guard Brigade awaits reinforcements now after a siege in the city that ended in late December, 5353 on Hallowtide Day.

The 1st Infantry Brigade quickly advanced across the border an captured the city of Umm Raga with minimal fighting, the city welcoming their liberators with open arms. The 3rd Battalion of the GMCMR advanced into Tazersana, a city located in the central portion of whats considered "Eastern Nefa" with minimal resistance, locals stating that the KU forces withdrew to the city of Birouine and Umm Gafakin, which directly border Liore.

As of mid February 5354, the front lines remain static with the Royal Minan Army and the Republican Guard attempting to reinforce front line units with material and personnel.

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Akhbar al-Jumhuria - Republic News
Mina's only opposition newspaper.
MARCH 5359 | SOUTHERN FRONT IN A STALEMATE; JADE SOCIETY MEETS WITH EMIR

Wad Mabelat - Field Marshal Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi, the Minister of Defense, confirmed that the frontlines had fallen "static" as representatives from the Kitembo Union and the Emirate attempted to come to several ceasefire agreements. "Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the KU Ministry of Foreign Affairs are attempting to formalize an end to the conflict in Nefa. The victorious Minan forces have pushed the oppressors from Nefa and have, over the past several months of low-intensity conflicts, restored basic services and functioning government in the areas re-conquered by the Minan forces." The axis of control for the Minan forces is largely based out of Geneigo where the Royal Minan Army has setup an ad hoc headquarters to monitor the situation. The KU continues to control large swathes of Nefa south of Geneigo, notably the towns of Birouine and Umm Gafakin and lines of defense have been drawn by both sides with crude fortifications dotting the desert and the two nations exchanging occasional assaults or artillery fire. In the western portion of Nefa the MAF has re-taken and established a number of border outposts to ensure that KU forces do not cross into western Nefa, in addition, the Royal Minan Air Force has begun conducting routine patrols at a great cost to the hourly operating budget of the RMAF.

While the flames of war continue in the south, the Emir has been courting foreign and even domestic investors, notably in the development of alternative sources of income for Mina. For instance, the Emir has announced the development and construction of a second offshore oil platform in the Sea of Carina. The first offshore platform began in February, 5349, a project that was partially completed by last year but has faced significant funding delays much to the dismay of the Emir. The Royal Development Authority has announced that it will be completed by next year and that the second had been funded fully and would be contracting the same company to construct the platform, this time however the Emir has decreed that the company must sub-contract work to local firms and businesses, something aimed at stimulating economic activity.

In the midst of conflict and war, the Emir was bolstered by support of the indigenous Cifutingan people through the formation of the Jade Society (Yingdalan (Traditional): 玉器協會; Yùqì xiéhuì) a political organization of right-wing, pro-monarchy Cifutingan nobles who have come together to offer their support to the Emir of MIna should he recognize certain protections for the Cifutingan peoples. According to reports, the Emir and several prominent members of the Jade Society have held long-running talks at the Palace of the Emir in Wad Mabelat.

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Ost Sicherheitsbrief
Eastern Security Brief
Minan government reached arms deal agreement with Deltaria.
December, 5359

WAD MABELAT Minister of Defense Field Marshal Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi announced a multi-billion dollar arms deal with Deltaria. The deal, aimed at rebuilding the offensive capabilities of the Armed Forces of Mina, is centered around enhancing the “deficiencies” of the Minan military. The deal, which totals to roughly 2.317b LOD is to be paid at a rate of 154.5m LOD per year over 10 years and includes the following:

75 T-90SM (337.5m LOD)
25 T-90SK (112.5m LOD)
125 BMP-3 (137.5m LOD),
150 smaller military vehicles (50m LOD)
15 Mil Mi-8 (270m LOD)
10 Mi-35 (360m LOD)
15 KA-52 (150m LOD)
10 SU-34s (450m LOD)

The Emir welcomed the representatives from the Deltarian Defense Agency for Procurement and Research who signed the deal at the Palace of the Emir. Deltaria, a noted producer of localized Trigunian military equipment, began discussions with Mina following a diplomatic approach related to rare earth minerals that Deltaria requires. A contingent of the Deltarian military will be dispatched to Mina to conduct the training.

The deliveries will take several years to fully arrive but some units will be made readily available to Mina.

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Khidmat al-Bathi al-Hukumia
The State Broadcasting Service is an official government media source provided by the Ministry of Information and Communication.
APRIL 5376 | EMIR'S FOCUS ON COUNTERING RADICAL GROUPS

Wad Mabelat: The aging Emir of Mina, Zaahir Salaah al-Mahdi, has announced that the Nefa front is formally "controlled" by the Royal Minan Army and Mina, however experts and critics have noted that the front is stable, but at a stalemate. According to sources within the Ministry of Defense the Minister of Defense Field Marshal Abdul Khaliq al-Mahdi was relying on the injection of new equipment from Deltaria which began arriving in spring, 5359. Deltarian technical advisors began arriving shortly after the deal was signed to begin advising the Royal Minan Armed Forces on the usage, care and maintenance of the equipment. The first batch of equipment began arriving in the summer of 5360 and certain units throughout the Republican Guard and the Royal Minan Armed Forces, the most immediate impact was the Royal Minan Air Force and the immediate addition of the helicopters that were familiar to the pilots from the RMAF already. While the Royal Minan Army has generally utilized Trigunian-based equipment, the newer more modern equipment has required more advanced training and the updates to maintenance. Despite all this the front in Nefa has remained at a stalemate with both the Kitembo Union and Mina occasionally launching offensives and counter-offensives.

According to sources close to the Emir he has turned his focus onto the increase of radical Ahadmist that have spawned from Nefa and the rather abrupt way that Nefa has been ripped from the control of a rather absentee Kitembo Union. The Emir has made several speeches in which he has blamed supportive governments such as the Bazgari government for their patronage of Dovani-based radical Ahmadi groups, something that the Bazgari Ambassador to Mina has condemned and condemned Mina for their "...archaic ways and love of the wealthy controlling the poor." The Republican Guard's Intelligence Organization (RGIO) has stepped up surveillance and enforcement around various mosques and community centers aimed at attempting to prevent terrorist attacks. A report published by the RGIO cites several "major" terrorist organizations operating in Mina, notably in southern Mina and in the Nefa region. The report cites the largest and most prominent being the Supreme Israic Council for the Ahmadi Liberation in East Dovani, a local branch of the Supreme Israic Council and its off-shoot, the East Dovani Supreme Ahmadi Council both answering to the world wide Supreme Israic Council.

The SIC's paramilitary group, the Mudas, have been engaged several times with Republican Guard and Royal Minan Army forces in Nefa.