Mabifian-Rwizikuran War: Difference between revisions

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| caption    =  
| caption    =  
| date        = 6<sup>th</sup> October, 1968 - 25<sup>th</sup> March, 1969<br>{{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=10|day1=6|year1=1968|month2=3|day2=25|year2=1969}}
| date        = 6<sup>th</sup> October, 1968 - 25<sup>th</sup> March, 1969<br>{{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=10|day1=6|year1=1968|month2=3|day2=25|year2=1969}}
| place      = {{flag|Mabifia}}<br>{{flag|Rwizikuru}}
| place      = {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} [[Mabifian Democratic Republic|Mabifia]]<br>{{flag|Rwizikuru}}
| coordinates =  
| coordinates =  
| map_type    =  
| map_type    =  
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| map_caption =  
| map_caption =  
| map_label  =  
| map_label  =  
| territory  =
| result      = [[Mabifian Democratic Republic|Mabifian]] victory
| result      = [[Mabifia|Mabifian]] victory
*[[Treaty of Snarksburgh]]
*[[Treaty of Snarksburgh]]
*{{wp|Population exchange}} of Rwizikuran Irfanics and Mabifian Sotirans
*{{wp|Population exchange}} of Rwizikuran Irfanics and Mabifian Sotirans
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| combatants_header =  
| combatants_header =  
| combatant1  = {{flag|Rwizikuru}}<br>'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|Estmere}}
| combatant1  = {{flag|Rwizikuru}}<br>'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|Estmere}}
| combatant2  = {{flag|Mabifia}}<br>'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|Zorasan}}
| combatant2  = {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} [[Mabifian Democratic Republic|Mabifia]]<br>{{flagicon image|Bendera Porto.png}} [[Yekumavirira Liberation Movement]]<br>'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|Dezevau}}
| commander1  = {{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} '''[[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Fred Ngonidzashe]]<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Munyaradzi Mhlanga]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Nokutendaishe Dulini]]<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Jean-Marie Mombeshora]]
| commander1  = {{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} '''[[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]]'''<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Fred Ngonidzashe]]<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Munyaradzi Mhlanga]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Nokutendaishe Dulini]]<br>{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} [[Jean-Marie Mombeshora]]
| commander2  = {{flagicon|Mabifia}} '''[[Fuad Onika]]'''<br> {{flagicon|Mabifia}} [[Soleïman Keïta]]<br> {{flagicon|Mabifia}} [[Christophe Kigu]]<br>
| commander2  = {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} '''[[Pierre-Julien Onziema]]'''<br> {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} [[Soleïman Ngendakumana]]<br> {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} [[Christophe Kigu]]<br>{{flagicon image|Bendera Porto.png}} [[Ntare Musabyimana]]
| strength1  = {{flag|Rwizikuru}} 207,595 soldiers
| strength1  = {{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} 207,595
| strength2  = {{flag|Mabifia}} 585,000 soldiers
| strength2  = {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} 385,000<br>{{flagicon image|Bendera Porto.png}} 120,000
| casualties1 = '''Rwizikuru'''<br> 89,635 killed <br> 52,092 wounded <br> 25,867 missing and captured
| casualties1 = {{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} 89,635 killed
| casualties2 = '''Mabifia''' <br>  132,000 killed <br> 90,000 wounded <br> 18,000 missing and captured
| casualties2 = {{flagicon|Mabifian Democratic Republic}} 90,000 killed<br>{{flagicon image|Bendera Porto.png}} 41,000 killed
| notes      = <div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">450,000 Rwizikuran civilians killed<br>300,000 Mabifian civilians killed<br>ton of internally displaced persons and refugees
| notes      = <div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">450,000 civilians killed<br>~3 million internally displaced persons and refugees
| campaignbox =  
| campaignbox =  
}}
}}
The '''Mabifian-Rwizikuran War''' ({{wp|Shona language|weRwizi}}: ''Hondo pakati peMabifia naRwizikuru'', {{wp|Fulani language|Ndjarendie}}: ''TBD'') was a war in [[Bahia]] that lasted from 1968 until 1969, over the territory of [[Yekumavirira]] which had been under the control of [[Rwizikuru]], that started when [[Mabifia]] attacked Rwizikuru. At the end of the war, the [[Purple Line (Bahia)|Purple Line]] was established along the front lines, and a {{wp|population exchange}} took place.
The '''Mabifian-Rwizikuran War''' ({{wp|Shona language|Rwizi}}: ''Hondo pakati peMabifia naRwizikuru'', {{wp|Fulani language|Ndjarendie}}: ''TBD'') was a war in [[Bahia]] that lasted from 1968 until 1969, over the territory of [[Yekumavirira]] which had been under the control of [[Rwizikuru]], that started when the [[Mabifian Democratic Republic]] attacked the Kingdom of Rwizikuru. At the end of the war, the [[Purple Line (Bahia)|Purple Line]] was established along the front lines, and a {{wp|population exchange}} took place.


==Names==
==Names==
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*'''Kukurirwa''' - translating to "the defeat," this is a commonly used vernacular term by Rwizikurans, especially those who were displaced from Yekumavirira as a result of the war
*'''Kukurirwa''' - translating to "the defeat," this is a commonly used vernacular term by Rwizikurans, especially those who were displaced from Yekumavirira as a result of the war
*'''Hondo Yekupona''' - translating to "war of survival," this was a commonly used propaganda term during the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War. Has fallen out of use since the 1980s
*'''Hondo Yekupona''' - translating to "war of survival," this was a commonly used propaganda term during the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War. Has fallen out of use since the 1980s
*'''Hondo yakanangana vaIrfan''' - translating to "war against the Irfans," this was a commonly used propaganda term during the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War, is seen as extraordinarily offensive


==Background==
==Background==
===Origins===
===Origins===
The area in question, [[Yekumavirira]], had historically been a part of the [[Ahirengeïe]] [[Djaladjie#Kiroles and Free-Cities|Kirole]]. this was an area of contested control between the [[Djaladjie#Axial Houregery|Great Powers]] of [[Kingdom of Kambou|Kambou]] and the [[veRwizi Empire]]. The area's population was divided between those who practiced [[Irfan]], who formed a slim majority, and [[Bahian fetishism|Fetishism]], leading to large social divisions. With the advent of [[Toubacterie]], Ahirengeïe's coastal location saw it quickly claimed by the [[Gaullican Empire]] and the area was a focal point for missionary activity.  
The area in question, [[Yekumavirira]], had historically been a part of the [[Ahirengeïe]] [[Djaladjie#Kiroles and Free-Cities|Kirole]]. this was an area of contested control between the [[Djaladjie#Axial Houregery|Great Powers]] of [[Kambou]] and the [[Rwizi Empire]]. With the advent of [[Toubacterie]], Ahirengeïe's coastal location saw it quickly claimed by the [[Gaullican Empire]] and the area was a focal point for missionary activity.  


The transfer of [[Gaullica]]'s Bahian territories to [[Estmere]] at the end of the [[Great war (Kylaris)|Great War]] resulted in the addition of Ahirengeïe to their territory of Riziland, as it was seen to have closer ethnic and religious ties to [[Solarian Catholicism|Catholic]] and {{wp|bantu|Ouloume}} Riziland as opposed to the primarily Irfanic and {{wp|Fula people|Ndjarendie}} dominated Mabifia. This ignored the historic ties of the Kirole to Mabifia, as well as the sizeable Irfanic population in the area.  
The transfer of [[Gaullica]]'s Bahian territories to [[Estmere]] at the end of the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]] resulted in the addition of Ahirengeïe to their territory of Riziland, as it was seen to have closer ethnic and religious ties to [[Solarian Catholicism|Catholic]] and {{wp|bantu|Ouloume}} Riziland as opposed to the more religiously diverse Mabifia. This ignored the historic ties of the Kirole to Mabifia, as well as the sizeable non-Sotirian population in the area.  


===Rwizikuran rule and growing tensions===
===Rwizikuran rule and growing tensions===
In 1946, [[Rwizikuru]] was granted independence following tensions between the Estmerish colonial authorities and the [[Rwizikuran National Movement]] led by [[Shungudzemwoyo Nhema]] and [[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]]. This included Olongaland, which was quickly renamed back to [[Yekumavirira]] by the newly independent government.
Following political change in [[Rwizikuru]] and the country's withdrawal from the [[United Bahian Republic]] in 1963&ndash;4, policies to consolidate Rwizikuru as a Rwizi nation-state resulted in drastic curtailing of cultural autonomy in Yekumavirira by [[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]]. In 1965 Ngonidzashe ordered all schools across Rwizikuru to use the {{wp|Shona language|Rwizi}} language, and banned {{wp|Kinyarwanda language|Kirobyi}}; this angered the Kirole, hitherto primarily taught in Estmerish and Kirobyi.


Under [[Samhuri Ngonidzashe]]'s rule from 1946 to 1954, he began instituting policies to "create a consolidated nation-state." To this end, Samhuri Ngonidzashe ordered all schools across Rwizikuru to use the {{wp|Shona language|weRwizi}} language, and to reduce the use of {{wp|English language|Estmerish}} in schools in 1948.
[[Ntare Musabyimana]], in response to these policies, established the [[Yekumavirira Liberation Movement]] to advocate for increased autonomy for Yekumavirira. After the [[Port Vaugeois massacre]] in 1966 the YLM declared the beginning of an armed struggle against the Rwizikuran government; it also received support from the rump UBR, mainly the socialist government of Mabifia, from the outset. In response, entire Kirole communities in Yekumavirira were deported to internment camps on suspicions of potentially cooperating with UBR and especially Mabifian agendas.


This policy was unpopular among the {{wp|Bantu people|Kirobyi people}} living in Yekumavirira, as they were angered that schools in their communities, which had hiherto been primarily taught in Estmerish and in the {{wp|Kinyarwanda language|Kirobyi}} languages would be forced to teach their children "the language of their enemies."
The imminent disintegration of the remainer of the UBR made Mabifian elements attempt bolder actions to restore federal unity, or at least increase their leverage in the situation through access to the economic potential offered by the region; [[Ouagedji|Gollobesare]] and its allies condemned Rwizikuran policies in Yekumavirira as genocidal, and threatened intervention. After Ngonidzashe's coronation as King of Rwizikuru in June 1968, Mabifia further denounced the establishment of 'reactionary despotism'. A buildup of troops began in late summer, and numerous border skirmishes occurred as Mabifian agents attempted to infiltrate Yekumavirira.
 
[[Alai Abyodu Tsalar]], in response to these policies established the [[Yekumavirira Liberation Movement]] to advocate for increased autonomy for Yekumavirira. Over the next few years, many [[Irfan|Irfanic]] people joined the movement, as many Irfanics experienced tensions with the Sortirian population, as policies were made that benefitted the {{wp|Christianity|Sotirian}} population at the expense of the Irfanic population.
 
In 1951, a compromise was achieved, where infant schools in Yekumavirira were allowed to teach in {{wp|French language|Gaullican}} and in the {{wp|Kinyarwanda language|Kirobyi language}}.
 
===Mabifia===
(TBD)
 
===Izibongo Ngonidzashe's election and increasing authoritarianism===
[[File:Daniel_arap_Moi_1972.jpg|150px|thumb|left|[[Alai Abyodu Tsalar]], 1967]]
In 1954, [[Samhuri Ngonidzashe]] finished his second term, and due to term limits implemented by the [[Constitution of Rwizikuru|Rwizikuran constitution]], Samhuri was prohibited from running for a third term. Instead, Samhuri appointed his son, [[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]] to be the presidential candidate in the 1954 elections.
 
Following Izibongo's election, he began to institute policies to benefit the {{wp|Christians|Sotirian}} communities at the expense of the [[Irfan|Irfanics]], with Izibongo saying in 1955 that:
 
<blockquote>"''The Rwizikuran nation must be based on three principles: one nation, one language, and one leader. If we do not develop our nation as a single nation-state, we shall be forever at the mercy of imperialist powers, from [[Euclea]], and from next door.''"</blockquote>
 
Thus, Izibongo enacted policies to further centralize the country: he abolished the 1951 compromise, and forced {{wp|Shona language|weRwizi}} to be the sole language of instruction in schools in [[Yekumavirira]]. As well, he welcomed the Sotirian refugees, and allocated "vacant land" in Yekumavirira. Combined, these policies drew the ire of the Irfanic population in the region, with [[Alai Abyodu Tsalar]] declaring in 1956 that:
 
<blockquote>"''Under President Izibongo, we are being subjugated. We are evicted to make room for those so-called 'refugees' from [[Mabifia]], and impose their faith, their language, and their beliefs unto us. In the name of the {{wp|Allah|Behestee-Alef}}, we cannot permit Rwizikuru to undermine our inherent rights to be a free nation.''"</blockquote>
 
This declaration angered the Rwizikuran government, and resulted in Izibongo Ngonidzashe amending the constitution so he would serve two five-year terms as opposed to two four-year terms, in addition to Ngonidzashe beginning to crack down on Irfanic practices. In an attempt to destroy the movement, he deported [[Alai Abyodu Tsalar]] and other prominent members of the [[Yekumavirira Liberation Movement]] to [[Mabifia]].
 
Despite these moves to try and crack down on the Yekumavirira Liberation Movement, it only served to attract more Irfanic people to the movement. This helped increase the perception that the Irfanic populations were untrustworthy, and in 1960, Izibongo Ngonidzashe passed legislation that allowed only three mosques to stay in operation: two in [[Port Tsalar|Port Vaugeois]] (present-day [[Port Tsalar]]), and one in [[Port Fitzhubert]].
 
This policy greatly outraged the Irfanic community, with demonstrations taking place throughout Yekumavirira: the [[Royal Rwizikuran Army|Rwizikuran Army]] were called in to quell the protests at Port Vaugeois, leading to the [[Port Vaugeois massacre]] on 4 March, 1960, killing twenty-two people and injuring sixty-three people.
 
The massacre would serve as the catalyst for the Yekumavirira Liberation Movement to begin engaging in an armed struggle against the Rwizikuran government. Over the next several years, the movement began to carve out a stronghold in rural areas of Yekumavirira where there were still sizable Irfanic populations.
 
===Prelude===
In 1964, with Izibongo's second term expiring, he chose to use the situation in [[Yekumavirira]] as a pretext to suspend the [[Constitution of Rwizikuru]], and to declare himself [[Monarchy of Rwizikuru|Mambo]] of [[Rwizikuru]]. With the institution of the [[Basic Law of Rwizikuru]] later that year which firmly established Rwizikuru as an {{wp|absolute monarchy}}, he essentially had all the power in the country.
 
Meanwhile in Mabifia, the Rafa - an ethno-religious nationalist Political Party - held sole power in the government since the Third Mabifian War. In 1963 however their power and organization began to fail, with ethnic tension in the cities and militancy on the countryside. Many had begun to detest villagization projects through state-owned collective farming, which had displaced or disrupted the lives of many agricultural groups.
 
The [[Prime Minister of Mabifia|Mabifian Prime Minister]] and leader of the Rafa, [[Gyowade !natan]] had seen success since the Mabifian Wars with his extensive programs of industrialization and cultural vitalization. However, he governed like a tyrant and did not submit to fair challenges to his power, instead employing a secret police of radical followers to purge the government. By 1965, Gyowade passed away and in his place the Rafa elected [[Idu Tsukhaja]] as Prime Minister, trying to keep the dividing and ideologically changing party together and prevent foreseeable civil war.
 
The Great Elder of Mabifia, Omun Ajokhemi, meanwhile called for attention on the issue of Irfanic populations in Yekumavirira conflicting with Sotirian migrants. In 1966, Elder Omun made a holy proclamation and demanded that the Sotirians be moved elsewhere by the Rwizikuru government.
 
Izibongo Ngonidzashe refused to accept the demands of Omun Ajokhemi, saying that:
 
<blockquote>"''The Sotirians in Yekumavirira have lived for as long as the Irfanic peoples in Yekumavirira, if not longer than the Irfanics. To tell our citizens to uproot their lives and move elsewhere would in itself be a grave violation of their God-given liberties to reside where-ever they please, and if we were to accept your demands, it will only encourage the destruction of our nation as it would be easier for imperialist powers to recolonize us.''"</blockquote>
 
Thus, Izibongo Ngonidzashe responded by closing the two mosques in Yekumavirira, and instituting mandatory "religious education" in the Sotirian religions. At around the same time, Izibongo Ngonidzashe instituted policies to reduce foreign influence in the economy, and expel "bourgeois elites" (i.e. [[Marathi people|Marathis]] and wealthy Irfanics) from the country.
 
Domestic tensions in Mabifia grew hotter, but Idu Tsukhaja sought to focus on the Yekumavirira issue. The following year, in 1967, Ajokhemi declared Yekumavirira a holy land of all [[Ngemi Irfan|Ngemi(ǁnemi)]] Irfanics. As rhetoric intensified, policy and focus changed, the country was unified in viewing a Yekumavirira border threat. In late 1967, the Great Elder of Mabifia declared a [[Ngemi Pilgrimage]] on Yekumavirira, calling for a "re-conquest of the land".
 
<blockquote>"''By Behestee-Alef, I call upon my brothers and sisters to defend their fellow countrymen. We must secure a future for all Ngemi Irfanic peoples and march forward with the word of Behestee-Alef. We must irradiate the Imperial Sotirian legacy and embark on the Reclamation of Olonga. This is why we unify, to protect against the imperial devil and bring the light of knowledge, the truth of Niayesh.''"
- Great Elder Omun Ajokhemi</blockquote>
 
In early 1968, an ultimatum was given to Izibongo Ngonidzashe by the Prime Minister Idu Tsukhaja. Officially cede claim on "Olonga" and evacuate the region, as Mabifian troops were stacked on the border. In reality, Mabifian troops had already begun to slowly trickle across the border at night and prepare for offensive.
 
Izibongo Ngonidzashe rejected the ultimatum, declaring that "Yekumavirira is as much of an integral part of Rwizikuru as [[Parunoguma]]," and began to deploy more troops of the [[Royal Rwizikuran Army]] to Yekumavirira to fortify Rwizikuru's position in the area. In preparation for an imminent war, he began to detain Irfanic people in the country and send them to {{wp|internment camps}} in the eastern regions.


==Events==
==Events==
===Initial offensive===
Irregular [[Mabifian Rangers]], groups already hidden in Yekumavirira, began their initial attacks three days before war was officially declared. Raiding villages and stopping convoys that were transporting Irfanic refugees to internment camps. War was officially declared by the Great Elder of Mabifia on October 6th, 1968, beginning with combined Air and Ground offensives following the rangers.
The ''Liberation of Olonga'' as Mabifia called it had begun as over 20,000 initial troops crossed the border, raiding and occupying Sotirian villages, as well as detaining individual Sotirians. On October 10th, Mabifian troops executed Sotirans indiscriminately along their routes as the advance was pushed, slashing the burning villages and land as they went. Mabifian Rangers continued their guerrilla war behind enemy lines, undertaking an operation to liberate eastern internment camps.
===Counterattack===
Caught off guard by the sudden Mabifian attacks, it took until 11 October for [[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]] to issue a response to the invasion of [[Yekumavirira]], after hearing reports of {{wp|Christians|Sortirians}} being indiscriminately killed, and their villages destroyed. He issued an order to the [[Royal Rwizikuran Army]] that "no quarter shall be given to any [[Irfan|Irfanic]] soldier or civilian," and to "use any means at their disposal" to drive them out of the country and into [[Mabifia]].
Thus, with around 80,000 soldiers, the army launched a vicious counteroffensive against the Mabifian forces the next day. Over the next few weeks, while the Rwizikurans made some progress against the Mabifian soldiers, and committed atrocities against Irfanic civilians who have not been evacuated. The Mabifian offensive was completely halted in this scourge within days of intense, full confrontation on the countryside.
[[File:Nrwarref.png|thumb|Thousands of civilians flee from the moving front]]
[[File:Nrwarref.png|thumb|Thousands of civilians flee from the moving front]]
By October 20th the Mabifian line had begun to retreat as casualties were high and outnumbered Mabifian units were entrenched behind enemy lines or wiped out. Supplies were stricken as the army was disorganized and Generals were becoming ever more divided along political lines; the Rafa Party was showing signs of splitting with intensifying rhetoric. Mabifian Prime Minister, Idu Tsakhaja, was asked to step down for his failure to unite the party while inciting the war.
Irregulars and agents embedded with the YLM in Yekumavirira began a series of attacks three days before war was officially declared, infiltrating the border, assassinating officials, liberating internment camps, and sabotaging infrastructure. War was officially declared by [[Pierre-Julien Onziema]] on October 6th, 1968, with a force of about 20,000 deployed to cross the Rwizikuran border. YLM militants and poorly disciplined Mabifian troops targeted Sotirians for reprisals, murdering Sotirian civilians and destroying villages indiscriminately.
 
The issues known to the Mabifian Army at the time had also decreased its effectiveness. While the Mabifian irregular forces effectively harassed the Rwizikuran advance and acted as scouts, the regular army experienced communication and task-management issues. Soldiers were also neglectful and lethargic, as drug use was widespread among the soldiers, especially khat among soldiers during combat. Political and clan divisions did not help either, as well as the disorganized and non-conforming hierarchical structure. Despite many veterans from the Third Mabifian War in leading ranks, the Army was debilitated yet needed to fight a war. This is believed to be caused by the use of the military as a police force by the Rafa, especially in the agrarian government villages, that grew more abusive.
 
The [[Naqan]] assumed emergency powers, dismantling the Rafa Party and calling for the trial of party officials under Esafkar Law. On October 27th, the Naqan ordered an immediate draft and signed an edict, prefaced with: "There is no party but that of Behestee-Alef." No drafted soldiers would be able to fight in the war by the time it had ended, however the draft campaign played into fueling the rebirth of ethno-religious nationalism.
 
On November 5th, the Mabifian Army in Yekumavirira was now commanded by [[Bakoi Tekǂnubo Kala]], [[Hugo ǁkhal Sundala]] and the exiled [[Alai Abyodu Tsalar]], told to hold out in western Olonga and wait for reinforcements to assemble. Tsalar led contingents of a ranger force that scouted and probed the Rwizikuran forces, as well as harassed their supply lines. Tsalar's troops were known as brutal and committed, ambushing countless Rwizikuran patrols and engaging them in melee. The rangers gave the Mabifians time to build a defense, composed of makeshift strongholds lined with trenches. Meanwhile, a purge was happening in the ranks of the Army, as Bakoi Kala and the Naqan of Mabifia led a complete restructuring of the armed forces as they were shifted from a police force, to a combat operations force. This involved inviting foreign advisers.
 
===Zorasan Air Support===
There was a question in Mabifia of requesting Zorasan support, as the Army wouldn't be able to fill its ranks with professional soldiers fast enough to counter the Rwizikuran defense. However, at the end of November, a plan was devised to expand the the irregular force and recruit from a pool of veterans of the [[Third Mabifian War]]. Most of the veterans were in their 30s, 40s and 50s, drafted and assembled into their own units. Thousands of veterans joined the offensive, as well as retrained reservists.
 
However the Mabifian airforce was ineffective and a logistical failure. So the Naqan of Mabifia requested that Zorasan offer air cover for Bakoi's advance.
 
Thus, by the start of December, the tide started to shift in favor of the Mabifian Armed Forces once more, partially due to the new leadership who were willing to use more modern tactics, as opposed to the Rwizikuran army, which used tactics dating back to the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]]. As well as Zorasan providing a air superiority, the Mabifian observed air power as a useful tool. More soldiers were deployed to the front in the response to the advancing Mabifian forces, to try and reinforce the Rwizikuran soldiers already at the front.
 
However, over the next few weeks, the Rwizikuran forces were forced to retreat as they lost more and more battles to the Mabifian forces, in addition to more non-Mabifian forces on the side of the Mabifians, and more rebels from Yekumavirira: thus, on December 24th, Izibongo Ngonidzashe ordered to pull back troops to protect the major cities of Yekumavirira which were linked by the Mugwagwa, which went all the way to the then-capital of [[Port Fitzhubert]].
 
===Battle of Port Vaugeois===
By February, the forces of Bakoi Kala spearheaded a brutal advance which took no prisoners and led to the scourge of the countryside. On the 22nd, his army began scouting [[Port Tsalar|Port Vaugeois]], and directing mass artillery barrages. During this time, the Naqan [[Omun Ajokhemi]] enacted widespread wartime reform Rafe-established institutions. On 2 March, 1969, when Kala had began a full assault on Port Vaugeois, Gyowade !natan, the former Prime Minister and leader of the Rafa party, stood trial before judgement of an Irfanic court.  


The opening hours of the Battle of Port Vaugeois were bloody with thousands of casualties on both sides, ending in a contested stalemate. The Mabifian forces continued to bombard the city with Zorasani air support and artillery by night and fight in the streets by the day.
Caught off guard by the sudden Mabifian attacks, it took until 11 October for Ngonidzashe to organize a counteroffensive with around 80,000 men. This managed to check the Mabifian advance; in the meantime atrocities began against the Kirole population. By October 20th, the Mabifian line had begun to retreat, as casualties were high, and outnumbered Mabifian units were encircled or wiped out. The fiasco even challenged Onziema's authority within Mabifia; after foiling a coup attempt against him, he purged the staff, and on November 5th appointed [[Christophe Kigu]] as the new front commander. In the meantime, Musabyimana's YLM was reinforced by forces that had finished training in Mabifia, acting as an effective yet brutal ranger force harassing the Rwizikurans. Elastic defense gave the Mabifians time to regroup around makeshift strongholds lined with trenches. From the end of November Mabifian forces also began receiving [[Dezevau]]ni air support, while mobilized reinforcements stabilized the frontlines in Mabifia's favor.


Over the next few weeks, the Rwizikuran defenders attempted to use the urban environment of Port Vaugeois to their advantage, and to attempt to slow down the Mabifian advance. However, with Zorasani forces bombing the city from the air, the Rwizikuran defenders were at a substantial disadvantage. While there were calls to deploy the Rwizikuran Air Force, as their planes largely dated to the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]], [[Izibongo Ngonidzashe]] was hesitant to deploy them, as he believed Zorasani planes "can crush them like insects."
In December the Rwizikuran forces were forced to retreat in the face of a Mabifian counteroffensive and YLM uprisings behind their front. On December 24th, Izibongo Ngonidzashe ordered to pull back troops to protect the major cities of Yekumavirira which were linked by the Mugwagwa, which went all the way to the then-capital of [[Port Fitzhubert]]. The Rwizikurans' own entrenchment and casualties suffered by the Mabifians halted major operations during January 1969.


However, this brutal campaign took a substantial toll on the Rwizikuru Army, with many soldiers and civilians being killed or put out of action as a result of the bombardments. This led to the Rwizikurans abandoning sections of Port Vaugeois, and concentrating their efforts at defense in the city center, the harbor, and along the Mugwagwa. Yet, by the sixteenth of March, the harbor and city center were lost, and with heavy casualties, the remaining soldiers were ordered to retreat on the Mugwagwa, as they no longer had sufficient manpower to defend Port Vaugeois from the Mabifian-Zorasani forces.
In February, however, Kigu's forces made a brutal advance on [[Port Musabyimana|Port Vaugeois]]; after scourging the countryside, his troops began probing and bombarding the city on February 24th. On March 2nd Mabifian troops began a direct assault on Port Vaugeois, initiating slow and bloody street fighting. Over the next few weeks, the Rwizikuran defenders attempted to use the urban environment of Port Vaugeois to their advantage and slow down the Mabifian advance. However, Dezevauni aerial interdiction of supplies entering the city forced the Rwizikurans to gradually withdraw to a perimeter around the city center, the harbor, and along the Mugwagwa. This line broke on March 16th, and shortly after the Rwizikurans abandoned the city. Mabifian troops and YLM irregulars engaged in the mass murder and rape of an estimated 2,000 Sotirian civilians as retribution; this caused an international fiasco for Onziema's government, and Kigu was dismissed for failing to ensure troop discipline.


====Rape of Port Vaugeois====
After the Battle of Port Vaugeois, Mabifian forces pushed down the Mugwagwa, attacking retreating Rwizikuran forces. While some of Yekumavirira, centered on the town of [[Tchinamano]], remained under Rwizikuran control, most of the area was lost by the 19th of March.
After the battle the controversial subject of the Rape of Port Vaugeois comes up. The Mabifian government today denies the event ever taking place, however most contemporary historians disagree with this narrative. From the countless reports, eyewitness, pictures and some captured video, the Rape of Port Vaugeois is known to have happened. The Mabifian government has taken the stance of recognizing atrocity happening in the war, but stating that the Rape of Port Vaugeois is an isolated incident which has been blown up disproportionately. This explanation is also contested by most historians with the same evidence.
 
Over 200,000 civilians that identified as Sotirian are estimated to have been raped, beheaded or buried alive. Since 1984 there has been an active movement for reparations to the victims of the massacre.
 
===Final offensives===
After the Battle of Port Vaugeois, the Mabifian forces pushed down the Mugwagwa, attacking retreating Rwizikuran forces. The offensives lasted from March 16th to the 20th, otherwise known as the  ''Scourge of the Mugwagwa''. [[Hugo ǁkhal Sundala]] led most of the final offensive, known as particularly brutal yet incompetent commander. In the final winning offensive, Hugo's leadership had high casualties and communication issues. Tsalar assumed control over the advance on the 18th and his guerrilla forces, mostly composed of local recruits, drove the rest of the Rwzizkuran forces out of the region, and captured many more villages. While some of Yekumavirira remained under Rwizikuran control, centered on the town of [[Tchinamano]], most of the area was lost by the 19th of March.
 
A ceasefire was declared on the 20th, however Mabifian forces continued to repeatedly violate by engaging skirmishes and ambushes. When talks were threatened, various non-government militia's were propped up to continue harassment along the purple line. Mabifian soldiers had also been fighting local Sotiran insurgents that rose around Port Vaugeois, leading to a campaign to remove the insurgents from the city.


===Negotiations===
===Negotiations===
On the 20th of March, a ceasefire was agreed, in order to facilitate talks in [[Snarksburgh]], [[Caldia]]. The peace talks began out of fear for the war growing far too out-of-control, as the conflict was soon dubbed conventional and high lethality. Over the course of five months, the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War had reached large numbers of casualties that was showing an affects on both economies. The Mabifian Prime Minister [[Idu Tsakhaja]] agreed to a ceasefire several days into the talks, however held out on the division of Yekumavirira. On the 21st a covert offensive was launched by propped up local groups to try and seize the remaining areas of Yekumavirira under Rwizikuran control, but it had ultimately failed to succeed in time.
On the 20th of March, a ceasefire was agreed, in order to facilitate talks in [[Snarksburgh]], [[Caldia]]. The peace talks began out of fear for the war growing far too out-of-control, as the conflict was soon dubbed conventional and high lethality. Over the course of five months, the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War had reached large numbers of casualties that was showing an affects on both economies. Onziema's government agreed to a ceasefire several days into the talks, however held out on the division of Yekumavirira. On the 21st a covert offensive was launched by propped up local groups to try and seize the remaining areas of Yekumavirira under Rwizikuran control, but it had ultimately failed to succeed in time.


Meanwhile in Snarksburgh, the Rwizikuran ambassador to Caldia, [[Tirivangani Chiweshe]], suggested a population exchange, where all Sotirians residing in Yekumavirira will be repatriated to Rwizikuru, and all Irfanics living there will be repatriated to Mabifia. He also suggested that "to prevent further hostilities," the ceasefire line should be designated as the international border between the two countries, and to have {{wp|peacekeeping|peacekeepers}} from the [[Community of Nations]] guard the ceasefire line.
Meanwhile in Snarksburgh, the Rwizikuran ambassador to Caldia, [[Tirivangani Chiweshe]], suggested a population exchange, where all Sotirians residing in Yekumavirira will be repatriated to Rwizikuru, and all Kirole living there will be repatriated to Mabifia. He also suggested that "to prevent further hostilities," the ceasefire line should be designated as the international border between the two countries, and to have {{wp|peacekeeping|peacekeepers}} from the [[Community of Nations]] guard the ceasefire line.


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==Impact==
==Impact==
One of the greatest impacts of the war was the expulsion of Yekumaviriran [[Irfan|Irfanic]] people to [[Mabifia]], and the expulsion of Yekumaviriran {{wp|Christians|Sotirians}} to [[Rwizikuru]] as part of the [[Treaty of Snarksburgh]] which ended the war between the two countries. As this population exchange made no distinctions along ethnic lines, {{wp|Shona people|veRwizi}} who followed the Irfanic faith and who had known no other country, and Sotirian {{wp|Bantu people|Kirobyi}} and [[Mirites]], who likewise knew no other country, found themselves in unfamiliar territories.
One of the greatest impacts of the war was the expulsion of the Yekumaviriran Kirole people to [[Mabifia]], and the expulsion of Yekumaviriran {{wp|Christians|Sotirians}} to [[Rwizikuru]] as part of the [[Treaty of Snarksburgh]] which ended the war between the two countries.
 
Diplomatically, relations remained frosty between the two sides since the war: until February 2020, relations were non-existent, with {{wp|protecting powers}} representing each country in another. The border between Mabifia and Rwizikuru is closed, only opening for special occasions, usually involving sporting events held in the other country, in order to allow fans and the team to go to the other country. However, on 2 February 2020, [[Munashe Ngonidzashe]] formally re-established diplomatic relations.


In addition, Rwizikuru maintained its claim over Yekumavirira: while the areas remaining under Rwizikuran rule were transferred to the district of [[Ndarira]] in April 1969, the district of Yekumavirira still officially existed until the passage of the [[Constitution of Rwizikuru, 2020|new Rwizikuran constitution]] in January 2020, when it was formally abolished.
Diplomatically, relations between Mabifia and Rwizikuru were non-existent until the collapse of the Mabifian socialist government in the [[Second Mabifian Civil War]] in 1978; in 1979 relations were re-established. In addition, Rwizikuru maintained its claim over Yekumavirira: while the areas remaining under Rwizikuran rule were transferred to the district of [[Ndarira]] in April 1969, the district of Yekumavirira still officially existed until the passage of the [[Constitution of Rwizikuru, 2020|new Rwizikuran constitution]] in January 2020, when it was formally abolished.


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[[Category:Bahia]][[Category:Rwizikuru]][[Category:Mabifia]]
[[Category:Bahia]][[Category:History of Rwizikuru]][[Category:Mabifia]][[Category:Wars (Kylaris)]]

Latest revision as of 07:00, 16 August 2023

Template:Region icon Kylaris

Mabifian-Rwizikuran War
Nasani-Rwizikuran War.png
Date6th October, 1968 - 25th March, 1969
5 months, 2 weeks and 5 days
Location
Result

Mabifian victory

Territorial
changes
Loss of most of Yekumavirira to Mabifia
Belligerents
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Rwizikuru
Supported by:
Template:Country data Estmere
Mabifian Democratic Republic Mabifia
Yekumavirira Liberation Movement
Supported by:
 Dezevau
Commanders and leaders
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Izibongo Ngonidzashe
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Fred Ngonidzashe
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Munyaradzi Mhlanga 
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Nokutendaishe Dulini
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Jean-Marie Mombeshora
Mabifian Democratic Republic Pierre-Julien Onziema
Mabifian Democratic Republic Soleïman Ngendakumana
Mabifian Democratic Republic Christophe Kigu
Ntare Musabyimana
Strength
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG 207,595 Mabifian Democratic Republic 385,000
120,000
Casualties and losses
File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG 89,635 killed Mabifian Democratic Republic 90,000 killed
41,000 killed
450,000 civilians killed
~3 million internally displaced persons and refugees

The Mabifian-Rwizikuran War (Rwizi: Hondo pakati peMabifia naRwizikuru, Ndjarendie: TBD) was a war in Bahia that lasted from 1968 until 1969, over the territory of Yekumavirira which had been under the control of Rwizikuru, that started when the Mabifian Democratic Republic attacked the Kingdom of Rwizikuru. At the end of the war, the Purple Line was established along the front lines, and a population exchange took place.

Names

In Mabifia

In Rwizikuru

  • Hondo pakati peMabifia naRwizikuru - translating to "War between Mabifia and Rwizikuru," this is the term used in official documents and media, and is seen as a politically neutral term
  • Hondo ye Yekumavirira - translating to "war for Yekumavirira," this is a commonly used vernacular term by Rwizikurans, and is seen as a politically neutral term
  • Kukurirwa - translating to "the defeat," this is a commonly used vernacular term by Rwizikurans, especially those who were displaced from Yekumavirira as a result of the war
  • Hondo Yekupona - translating to "war of survival," this was a commonly used propaganda term during the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War. Has fallen out of use since the 1980s

Background

Origins

The area in question, Yekumavirira, had historically been a part of the Ahirengeïe Kirole. this was an area of contested control between the Great Powers of Kambou and the Rwizi Empire. With the advent of Toubacterie, Ahirengeïe's coastal location saw it quickly claimed by the Gaullican Empire and the area was a focal point for missionary activity.

The transfer of Gaullica's Bahian territories to Estmere at the end of the Great War resulted in the addition of Ahirengeïe to their territory of Riziland, as it was seen to have closer ethnic and religious ties to Catholic and Ouloume Riziland as opposed to the more religiously diverse Mabifia. This ignored the historic ties of the Kirole to Mabifia, as well as the sizeable non-Sotirian population in the area.

Rwizikuran rule and growing tensions

Following political change in Rwizikuru and the country's withdrawal from the United Bahian Republic in 1963–4, policies to consolidate Rwizikuru as a Rwizi nation-state resulted in drastic curtailing of cultural autonomy in Yekumavirira by Izibongo Ngonidzashe. In 1965 Ngonidzashe ordered all schools across Rwizikuru to use the Rwizi language, and banned Kirobyi; this angered the Kirole, hitherto primarily taught in Estmerish and Kirobyi.

Ntare Musabyimana, in response to these policies, established the Yekumavirira Liberation Movement to advocate for increased autonomy for Yekumavirira. After the Port Vaugeois massacre in 1966 the YLM declared the beginning of an armed struggle against the Rwizikuran government; it also received support from the rump UBR, mainly the socialist government of Mabifia, from the outset. In response, entire Kirole communities in Yekumavirira were deported to internment camps on suspicions of potentially cooperating with UBR and especially Mabifian agendas.

The imminent disintegration of the remainer of the UBR made Mabifian elements attempt bolder actions to restore federal unity, or at least increase their leverage in the situation through access to the economic potential offered by the region; Gollobesare and its allies condemned Rwizikuran policies in Yekumavirira as genocidal, and threatened intervention. After Ngonidzashe's coronation as King of Rwizikuru in June 1968, Mabifia further denounced the establishment of 'reactionary despotism'. A buildup of troops began in late summer, and numerous border skirmishes occurred as Mabifian agents attempted to infiltrate Yekumavirira.

Events

Thousands of civilians flee from the moving front

Irregulars and agents embedded with the YLM in Yekumavirira began a series of attacks three days before war was officially declared, infiltrating the border, assassinating officials, liberating internment camps, and sabotaging infrastructure. War was officially declared by Pierre-Julien Onziema on October 6th, 1968, with a force of about 20,000 deployed to cross the Rwizikuran border. YLM militants and poorly disciplined Mabifian troops targeted Sotirians for reprisals, murdering Sotirian civilians and destroying villages indiscriminately.

Caught off guard by the sudden Mabifian attacks, it took until 11 October for Ngonidzashe to organize a counteroffensive with around 80,000 men. This managed to check the Mabifian advance; in the meantime atrocities began against the Kirole population. By October 20th, the Mabifian line had begun to retreat, as casualties were high, and outnumbered Mabifian units were encircled or wiped out. The fiasco even challenged Onziema's authority within Mabifia; after foiling a coup attempt against him, he purged the staff, and on November 5th appointed Christophe Kigu as the new front commander. In the meantime, Musabyimana's YLM was reinforced by forces that had finished training in Mabifia, acting as an effective yet brutal ranger force harassing the Rwizikurans. Elastic defense gave the Mabifians time to regroup around makeshift strongholds lined with trenches. From the end of November Mabifian forces also began receiving Dezevauni air support, while mobilized reinforcements stabilized the frontlines in Mabifia's favor.

In December the Rwizikuran forces were forced to retreat in the face of a Mabifian counteroffensive and YLM uprisings behind their front. On December 24th, Izibongo Ngonidzashe ordered to pull back troops to protect the major cities of Yekumavirira which were linked by the Mugwagwa, which went all the way to the then-capital of Port Fitzhubert. The Rwizikurans' own entrenchment and casualties suffered by the Mabifians halted major operations during January 1969.

In February, however, Kigu's forces made a brutal advance on Port Vaugeois; after scourging the countryside, his troops began probing and bombarding the city on February 24th. On March 2nd Mabifian troops began a direct assault on Port Vaugeois, initiating slow and bloody street fighting. Over the next few weeks, the Rwizikuran defenders attempted to use the urban environment of Port Vaugeois to their advantage and slow down the Mabifian advance. However, Dezevauni aerial interdiction of supplies entering the city forced the Rwizikurans to gradually withdraw to a perimeter around the city center, the harbor, and along the Mugwagwa. This line broke on March 16th, and shortly after the Rwizikurans abandoned the city. Mabifian troops and YLM irregulars engaged in the mass murder and rape of an estimated 2,000 Sotirian civilians as retribution; this caused an international fiasco for Onziema's government, and Kigu was dismissed for failing to ensure troop discipline.

After the Battle of Port Vaugeois, Mabifian forces pushed down the Mugwagwa, attacking retreating Rwizikuran forces. While some of Yekumavirira, centered on the town of Tchinamano, remained under Rwizikuran control, most of the area was lost by the 19th of March.

Negotiations

On the 20th of March, a ceasefire was agreed, in order to facilitate talks in Snarksburgh, Caldia. The peace talks began out of fear for the war growing far too out-of-control, as the conflict was soon dubbed conventional and high lethality. Over the course of five months, the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War had reached large numbers of casualties that was showing an affects on both economies. Onziema's government agreed to a ceasefire several days into the talks, however held out on the division of Yekumavirira. On the 21st a covert offensive was launched by propped up local groups to try and seize the remaining areas of Yekumavirira under Rwizikuran control, but it had ultimately failed to succeed in time.

Meanwhile in Snarksburgh, the Rwizikuran ambassador to Caldia, Tirivangani Chiweshe, suggested a population exchange, where all Sotirians residing in Yekumavirira will be repatriated to Rwizikuru, and all Kirole living there will be repatriated to Mabifia. He also suggested that "to prevent further hostilities," the ceasefire line should be designated as the international border between the two countries, and to have peacekeepers from the Community of Nations guard the ceasefire line.

(TBC)

Aftermath

war ends with the Treaty of Snarksburgh in Snarksburgh, Caldia, Purple Line established to prevent further conflict along the border of the former Yekumavirira region, and population exchange

(TBD)

Impact

One of the greatest impacts of the war was the expulsion of the Yekumaviriran Kirole people to Mabifia, and the expulsion of Yekumaviriran Sotirians to Rwizikuru as part of the Treaty of Snarksburgh which ended the war between the two countries.

Diplomatically, relations between Mabifia and Rwizikuru were non-existent until the collapse of the Mabifian socialist government in the Second Mabifian Civil War in 1978; in 1979 relations were re-established. In addition, Rwizikuru maintained its claim over Yekumavirira: while the areas remaining under Rwizikuran rule were transferred to the district of Ndarira in April 1969, the district of Yekumavirira still officially existed until the passage of the new Rwizikuran constitution in January 2020, when it was formally abolished.

(TBC)