Antekeri Freedom Falcons

The Antekeri Freedom Falcons are a terrorist group from M'Biruna dedicated to the liberation of the islands of Antekerun from M'Birunan rule.

The group subscribes to both the independence of the islands and an extreme leftist ideology and has been responsible for numerous attacks in both the islands and on the M'Birunan mainland. In April 2001 the organisation was responsible for the Antekeri Revolution 2001 when led by their leader Shingirai they seized the local government buildings on the main island of Djelliba and took hostage a number of lawmakers. Over the next two months the AFF ran the island according to their ideology before the M'Birunan military restored control during Operation Tsitsi in which the majority of the AFFs fighters were killed or captured including Shingirai. Since their defeat the AFF have remained a presence on the islands forcing a strong presence from the M'Birunan military and police.

# History

## Origins

The organisation has it's roots in the longstanding cause of Antekeri Liberation which has existed since the absorption of the islands into M'Biruna in 1901 and the perceived injustice of mainland rule. The group was founded by Shingirai, born Si'Mamakele Ntwene, in response to the relative poverty that the native islanders lived in compared to the mainlanders on the island, who also held most positions of power on the two islands. After initially forming a peaceful political party, the Antekeri Freedom Front in 1984, Shingirai was increasingly radicalised by the failure of the M'Birunan government to listen to the concerns of the people especially the brutal police response to the freedom march he led through Djelliba in 1989.

After travelling abroad Shingirai found allies in extremist leftist movements throughout Ajax, who provided both weapons and training to him and his followers before smuggling them back onto the islands in 1993 where they declared war upon the M'Birunan government and began their insurgency.

## Early Actions

After the initial declaration of war by Shingirai there was little response either from the authorities or the local population and the nascent AFF remained underground and limited itself to pro-independence graffiti and other acts of vandalism, especially against islanders perceived to be pro-M'Birunan. This escalated from a campaign of intimidation to one of open violence with the assassination of the mayor of the town of Mparre, Zivannai Mujuru by the AFF in July 1994. The assassination of the only island born mayor led to an outcry from both the islands population and the authorities who launched a number of police raids on houses of suspected AFF members and sympathisers.

These raids failed to detain Shingirai or any major members of the Freedom Falcons but did alienate the island population as the majority of the police were mainlanders and many of the homes raided were those of innocent parties or peaceful activists for independence. The continued failure of the authorities to apprehend Shingirai and the increasingly brutal measures taken to contain the AFF threat drove many of the islanders into the arms of the fighters. This escalated after the imposition of a curfew across the islands and the deaths of three children alleged to have broken it by the police.

With a sympathetic population the AFF's attacks became bolder including attacks on police stations and government buildings, as well as the declaration of "free communes" in towns from which the government forces had been ejected.

## Antekeri Revolution

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Confident in the organisations support amongst the population and the weakness of the authorities Shingirai decided to attempt to seize the islands and declare independence in April 2001. Having gathered the majority of the AFF on Djelliba, estimated at 600 armed followers, the Freedom Falcons attacked the town hall and main police barracks quickly overwhelming resistance and gaining control of the island. Shingirai then declared himself president of the People's Republic of Antekerun, as well as independence from M'Biruna.

This self-declared independence was not recognised internationally and lacking any outside support Djelliba was quickly isolated from the outside by the M'Birunan Air Force and Navy and the government in Insukamini was content to let the revolutionary government collapse by itself then return to the islands. However the actions of Shingirai in both the show trials and executions of pro-M'Birunan islander politicians and the massacre of the surrendered police forced them to act.

Operation Tsitsi was the airborne invasion of the island launched by the elite Buffalo Parachute Battalion and the veteran government troops with naval gun support quickly overwhelmed the lightly armed insurgents and reclaimed the island. A short and decisive battle was fought between the government troops and the insurgents around the main courthouse during which Shingirai was killed leading the defenders. The death of the AFF leader signalled the end of armed resistance and the majority of the AFF fighters surrendered to the government after the promise of an amnesty although a hard core of the organisation retreated under the leadership of Shingirai's son Tawanda and continued armed resistance to the government.

## Continued Resistance

After their defeat the organisation splintered into two factions, one led by Tawanda continued armed resistance to the M'Birunan government while the other focused on those insurgents who accepted the government amnesty reformed the Antekerun Freedom Front as a political party committed to independence through peaceful means.

The AFF continues to launch small scale attacks on police and other government agencies on both the Antekerun islands as well as a propaganda campaign and assassinations of those perceived as traitors.

# Organisation

## Leadership

Little is known about the leadership structure of the AFF with the organisation claiming to be one of equals in line with their leftist philosophy. However M'Birunan Intelligence believe that the group is exclusively commanded by Tawanda Ntwene based somewhere on Djelliba, with smaller cells of operatives commanded by fighters appointed by him directly.

## Size

An increase of surveillance flights by the M'Birunan Air Force has led to a reduced number of military parades held by the AFF for propaganda purposes which has indirectly hampered estimates as to the size of the organisation. At the height of the insurgency in 2001 at least 1000 fighters were believed to be armed and active, however over 300 of these were killed during Operation Tsitsi and a further 500 surrendered to government forces in the aftermath and were amnestied back into civilian life. This left a hardcore of 200 active combatants still at large.

AFF propaganda continues to claim an active membership of 1300 fighters but this is dismissed by the government who estimate that only 300 fighters are active across the two islands. Independent observers have suggested a figure of 500-600 active members when taking into account the casualties sustained by the movement and government forces on the islands in the last 19 years as well as social media postings and the propaganda put out by the group.

## Equipment

The AFF's armoury is similar to that of most insurgent forces, focused predominantly on light weapons such as assault rifles and rocket propelled grenade launchers. At the height of it's power and with some alleged foreign support the group had a small number of recoilless artillery pieces as well as anti-personal and anti-tank mines. In recent times the group has started to employ improvised explosive devices as well as weapons captured from the security forces.