Saha
Saha Arab Republic الجمهورية العربية السهى Al-Jumhūrīyah Al-ʻArabīyah Al-ʻSaha | |
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Flag
Coat of arms
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| Anthem: حماة الديار Guardians of the Homeland | |
| Capital | Attahbad |
| Demonym(s) | Sahahi |
| Government | Single-party state |
• Leader | Asoud al-Abahi |
• Premier | Mahmud Fufuli |
| Establishment | |
• Kingdom of Saha | 5 May 1802 |
• Saha Republic | 30 June 1947 |
• Socialist Republic of Saha | 15 November 1953 |
• Arab Revolution | 14 August 1990 |
• Saha Arab Republic | 2 January 1991 |
| Population | |
• 2014 estimate | 21,631,812 |
• 2011 census | 20,312,531 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2014 estimate |
• Total | $81.539 billion |
| Gini |  35.4medium |
| HDI | 0.754 high |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +33 |
| ISO 3166 code | SH |
| Internet TLD | .sh |
Saha, is a country in south eastern Esquarium. It borders Irvadistan to the north. Its capital is Attahbad, which is also its largest city. The majority of the population is Shiite, while a substantial minority is Sunni. The majority of the population resides along the eastern coastline. The remainder of the country is sparsely populated, with only a few settlements in the vast Saha Desert. The country's government is disputed as a result of the ongoing civil war.
Saha was largely uninhabited until the early 18th century, when Shi'ite settlers from Irvadistan settled the eastern coastline of present-day Saha. In 1802, the Kingdom of Saha was established, with King Ibrahim of the House of al-Bishai. The kingdom remained stable until the 20th century, when unrest from the Sunni minority began to threaten the monarchy's rule. In 1941, the monarchy was overthrown by Sunni rebels, plunging the country into anarchy. In 1947, the country was largely stabilised under the rule of Mohammed al-Khabui, a former military general during the monarchy. He crushed the Sunni rebels and established the first of many dictatorships in Saha. In 1953, the al-Khabui was overthrown by the Sahagi Communist Party. The communists received aid from East Koyro. The communists were officially secular, however the Shiite majority received preference. In 1988, economic aid was cut off from North Sakatia, resulting in a major economic crisis in Saha. In 1989, the Communist Party lost its grip on power and was replaced in 1990 by a military government, under General Zaid al-Dharai. In 2004, al-Dharai died and was replaced by Asoud al-Abahi.
Saha is a member of the Organisation of Esquarian Nations. Saha has a "lower middle income economy" and is post-industrial. The country is ranked very low in press freedom and has a questionable human rights record.
History
Kingdom of Saha
Saha Republic
Socialist Republic of Saha
Coup and Arab Republic
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, as a result of its own economic crisis, East Koyro cut-off economic aid to the Sahagi government. Unemployment soon began to rise, and by spring 1989, 33% of the population was unemployed. The government soon collapsed as the Politburo resigned in July 1989. An interim government was put in place, however this government was extremely weak and its power only covered the capital and a few outlying areas.
In August 1990, the military removed the interim President and dissolved the Parliament. The Revolutionary Guidance Council was established on 2 January 1991 and declared the Saha Arab Republic. In 1994, to solidify the current leadership, an election was held, where the incumbent Brotherly Guide of the Republic Zaid al-Dharai was elected to an 8 year term unopposed.
The Saha Arab Republic aligned itself with its northern neighbor Irvadistan and in 1996, once again began to receive aid from Koyro. In 1999, economic reforms were undertaken, opening up the Saha economy to foreign investment. The Sahagi government also allowed municipal council elections, however only pro-government candidates were allowed to run.
Zaid al-Dharai died on 17 September 2004. Al-Dharai's post, the Brotherly Guide of the Republic, was dissolved and a new post, the Brotherly Leader of the Republic, was established. Then Minister of Defence, Asoud al-Abahi, was chosen as his successor. He was subsequently elected the Brotherly Leader in a referendum unopposed with an implausible 99.7% of the vote. In 2007, al-Abahi established a new legislature, the Republican Council of Representatives, a unicameral legislature. In 2008, the first elections were held for the new legislature, with pro-government parties gaining 100% of the seats.
2012-2014 unrest
In 2012, as a result of anti-government unrest in Kraq, protests broke out in Attahbad demanding freedom of press and political reform. Al-Abahi promised reform and formed a council to review the possibility of free media in Saha. The protests were broken up by January 2013 by the Sahagi Police. In May 2013, protests broke out again, demanding the promised reform occur. Al-Abahi responded by calling early legislative elections, where 398 of the 400 seats were given to pro-government parties, while 2 seats were given to independent candidates. The protests did not cease, so al-Abahi dissolved the legislature and ordered the police to forcible disperse the protests. A widespread crackdown against activists and the Sunni minority followed.
Throughout late 2013 and early 2014, a massive crackdown occurred in the Sunni dominated west of the country. Security forces conducted late night raids in the city of Makka, capturing several prominent anti-government activists. On 12 July, protesters stormed the police station in Dharma, capturing weapons and ammunition. The protests soon turned into an armed insurgency against the government. Government forces withdrew from Dharma, setting up checkpoints around the city to prevent the spread of the insurgency. On 14 July, the city's power station was shut down, plummeting the city into darkness. The city's services soon began to collapse, with water and air conditioning soon becoming unavailable. By 15 July, mass graves were discovered, as the temperatures were rising over 44 degrees Celsius. On 16 July, the city's hospital was destroyed in a government air strike. By 18 July, over half the city's populace were reported having died from the immense heat. The city was struck by over 50 air strikes from the Republican Guard. On 19 July, a ground offensive by the Republican Guard and Hezbollah was launched and recaptured the city, facing virtually no resistance.
Caliphate offensive and collapse of government
On 29 March 2015, The Caliphate launched an offensive into western Saha, capturing the cities of Jiddah, Dhamra and Makka. The Republican Guard Air Force launched air strikes on Caliphate positions and state media reported that a ground offensive to recapture the cities was being planned. This offensive never materialized, as the Caliphate seized Fak. The country soon spiraled out of control over a few days, with the capital, Attahbad, being seized by the Caliphate on 3 April. The deposed Sahagi leader, al-Abahi, was beheaded on live television by the Caliphate shortly after the capital fell. A rival government was formed in Salaa, declaring a Shia Republic and vowed to fight the Caliphate. Hezbollah and Republican Guard leaders declared allegiance to the new government. Another rival government was also formed in Mahin, calling itself the Saha Republic.
Geography
Government and politics
The Saha Arab Republic has one branch of government, the Revolutionary Sector. The Revolutionary Sector is headed by the Brotherly Leader and the Council, made up of 12 close advisers to the Brotherly Leader. The government is frequently described as despotic, as the country is effectively run by the Brotherly Leader and the Council, with virtually zero opposition. Between 2007 and 2013, Saha had a legislature called the Republican Council of Representatives, however this was described as a rubber-stamp legislature with zero power. Following anti-government protests, the Brotherly Leader dissolved the legislature in 2013.
The government is officially secular, however the Shiite majority is often given preferential treatment over the Sunni minority. The government imposes strict regulations on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. All media in Saha is government controlled, and the internet is heavily censored. Accessing banned information is punishable by death.
National Forces Party
The National Forces Party is the only legal political party in Saha. The party has ruled Saha unopposed since 1991, following the Arab Revolution. The party holds its own congress, called the Congress of Forces. This congress convenes once every five years, and its only function is to elect the Council. The Republican Guard is entrenched in the National Forces Party, with the Republican Guard holding 230 out of 400 seats in the Congress of Forces. The Republican Guard is also owns the land that the party's headquarters is located.
Military
The Saha Revolutionary Armed Forces is one of the military forces in Saha, comprising of 550,000 soldiers. The dominant military force is the Republican Guards Force, which maintains its own separate leadership, funding and facilities. In addition to the standing armies is the Hezbollah paramilitary force under control of the Republican Guards. The country maintains conscription into the SRAF, however the Republican Guards Force and Hezbollah is entirely made up of volunteers.
The Saha Revolutionary Armed Forces is made up of the Saha Revolutionary Army, the Saha Revolutionary Navy, the Saha Revolutionary Air Force and the Saha Revolutionary Air Defence Force. The Saha Revolutionary Army maintains a strong presence along the Shia dominated Sahagi east coast. The SRAF is prohibited from entering the capital, with only the Republican Guard allowed to transit inside the capital. The Revolutionary Armed Forces usually need authorization from the Republican Guard for the majority of operations. The Republican Guard is also entrusted with guarding the vital oil fields in the Saha desert. The Republican Guard also owns and operates 63% of the Sahagi economy, with the Republican Guard involved in banking, manufacturing and tourism.