Zairean Bush War

* Greatland
* S.F.R Yugoslavia

The **Zairean Bush War**, also known as the **Zairean Reunification War** was an armed conflict fought from April 23rd 2145 till November 9th 2147 when the treaties of Kisangani and Isiro were signed. The war involved the country of Zaire against the countries of Ituri and Hukololand with limited support from S.F.R Yugoslavia and Greatland to the two defenders.

The background to the war can be traced back to the aftermath of World War 6 in where the Democratic Republic of the Congo had turned into a rump state after the war. This allowed the rise of far-right nationalist parties like the Congolese Front for Justice and Salvation which launched a coup with support from the military to seize power from the Yugoslav puppet government. The State of Zaire was later established and replaced the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The war started on April 23rd 2145 and met large international backlash. Zaire was swiftly hit with economic sanctions and banned from multiple organizations and groups like FIFA and the International Committee for Human Rights. Many nations, especially Greatland and S.F.R Yugoslavia threw their support behind Ituri and Hukololand by aiding them with large amounts of money and military equipment. The war ended November 9th 2147 after Zaire decimated both countries' armies in Operation Hammerslam and forced them to surrender.

The war saw the annexation of Ituri and Hukololand into Zaire. International sanctions and backlash continued on as Zaire started to round up political opponents and executing them, solidifying the CFJS' position for decades to come. The aftermath also led to Zaire stopping to trust Greatland and other powers present on the continent, eventually leading to the formation of the African Union in 2150 to combat foreign influence on the African Continent.

## Background

**World War 6** had drastically shaped the world, notably the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The old regime was overthrown and the countries of Ituri and Hukololand (formerly known as Katanga) became independent and took away huge chunks of territory in the eastern parts of the country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was reduced to nothing more than a mere puppet of Yugoslavia after they installed a pro-Yugoslav president called Lrgkdskgksdigjmkodbm Mokojkotkohllrkk.

The nation was in shambles after their defeat in World War 6. The economy had crashed and millions were dead, deliberate use of banned weapons by the Yugoslav army had turned Kinshasa into a crater in the earth and the army was horribly demoralized. The population was also starving and demanded a solution to all their problems.

With the Congolese people having no one to turn to, they turned to right-wing nationalist groups to solve all their problems. One prominent group was the Congolese Front for Justice and Salvation, led by the party leader Raoul Gildas. Under a period of 7 years, Raoul Gildas built up an audience and a nationalist bloc inside of parliament to secure him a majority of seats. His main campaign slogans were: Reunification, Revenge and Bread.

The nationalist bloc led by Raoul Gildas would coup the puppet regime led by Lrgkdskgksdigjmkodbm Mokojkotkohllrkk in 2143. Rapid militarization and industrialization began under a period of 2 years in preparation for the invasion of Ituri and Hukololand.

## Order of Battle

Zaire had around 3,6 million men deployed of which 2 million were sent to the front in Ituri and Hukololand. The Zairean battle plan was to quickly route the armies of Ituri and Hukololand back and end the war in a quick and deceisive matter.

Ituri and Hukololand's main order of battle was to delay the war so both countries could recieve support from the superpowers or other great powers, mainly Greatland.

## First Battles

On April 3rd 2145, Zairean troops had crossed the border of Ituri and Hukololand, a few hours later the Zairean government declared war on both countries, declaring them as nothing more than mere rebel groups. The government also said that to think these two rebellions were countries was just fiction. The armed forces of Zaire would quickly overrun the unprepared and unready forces of Ituri and Hukololand during the first months of the war but then the war would turn into a stalemate as Zaire failed to make progress.

## Stalemate

During the stalemate, Ituri attempted to apply for W.T.O membership to force Zaire to back off from their country. Hukololand would also score major victories against Zairean troops, these defeats made Zaire realize that they need to improve their armed forces to become stronger and rival other powers on Africa.

## Operation Hammerslam & End of War

**Operation Hammerslam** was the codename for Zaire's final offensive against Ituri and Hukololand. In a period of 3 months Zairean troops would smash through Hukololand, collapse their army and march into their capital. At the same time Ituri was getting overrun as more Zairean troops arrived from Hukololand. The fall of Ituri's capital resulted in their surrender.

## Legacy

The legacy of the Zairean Bush War is one marked by revanchism and hatred for their oppressors. Zaire holds a military parade every anniversary on the day the war ended to celebrate their victory. This war also proved that Greatland's hegemony over Africa would be rivaled by other independent countries on the continent.