Navarra Summit

[Sheridan]

(OOC: I'm not guaranteeing constant activity here. I'll get on and post when I can.)

The Navarra Tower was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs head quarters. Prime Minister Stewart Huron and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominic Basil were both preparing to meet with Umbazi ambassadors. They were sending a large convoy of vehicles early tomorrow morning to pick them up. To make the Umbazi feel more comfortable Father Basil had allowed them to bring five armed elite guards. In reality those guards didn't make them any safer, just in case things got violent. But the main goal of these meetings was in all honesty was to create peace.

 

[Umbazi]

The cars arrived at the Navarra tower shortly before the clocks struck four in the afternoon. They were dusty from the long ride from the Border, and the team they disgorged looked somewhat dishevelled and sweaty. However, they adjusted their ties and suits, retrieved their suitcases, and quickly began walking up the steps to meet with their reception.

The Five Presidential Guardsmen also wore simple business-suits, and carried only Desert-eagle pistols. It seemed like they were there for show, but in fact all of them had concealed on their person cyanide pills, and strict orders not to allow any of the Diplomatic Team be captured, at any cost. That was their real purpose. They surveyed their surroundings sardonically, and quickly kept pace with the hurrying Diplomats.

"I am Ambassador Nassem Kefane, these are my credentials." the lead diplomat spoke, quickly flashing some old, crumpled paperwork. This was not the first time he had been to Navarra.

"Now, let's get this over with. I don't want to spend longer here than we really have to."

 

[Sheridan]

Once the ambassador, his delegates, and his guards entered the discussion room the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs took their seats at one end of the elongated table. The Umbazi delegate team sat on the other side.

"Welcome Mr. Kefane. I was hoping we could skip the introductions and pleasentries and get right to business. Now I want to make a few things clear. We will not allow an investigation team into the prison, and will not remove our military presence unless you do it first. Also we are growing very concerned about your treatment of teh Uroduah in the north east." Prime Minister Stewart Huron began.

 

[Havenshire]

Kefane laughed in Huron's face. "Unacceptable, and preposterous. Since when has Ascalon cared at all about the Uroduah, who are, by the way, in the North west. It is true there are a few minor tribes in the Ash Sharqi Provinces, but they are mostly concerntrated in the Northwestern Frontier, and they are our and Wazistan and Hajr's problem, not yours." Kefane took a seat, placing his suitcase on his lap and opening it up, dishevelled but eager to get into the matter at hand.

"I have here guarantees that Umbazi will make a staged millitary climbdown, IF an independent judiciary is allowed to review the prison case. We are willing to forego our own right to send an investigation team into the prison, but you must be insane if you think that you can demand we back down over this issue and you to simply walk free." Kefane smiled, and then slipped Huron a note under the table. This was what it was really all about.

On the note it said: Independent Judiciary, DMZ Borders, Public Apology, or Natural Gas Embargo. Pick one.

Kefane simply smiled, aware that he was playing with fire, and for once he was glad that he was in a position to truly make a White Power squirm. For years he had simply agreed to whatever trade proposals had been made, a rubberstamper for a foreign policy itself merely rubber-stamped by his Government. It was time, he thought, to stop being reactionary, and start being active. Keep them on the defensive, keep them reacting to you, and you will have momentum.

 

[Sheridan]

The Prime Minister was beginning to get nervous, so he nodded to Dominic Basil, the Foreign Affairs Minister. Father Basil had a much more commanding personality than Huron, and so was now going to take over the discussion.

"The Uroduah are our problem. We are in an alliance with Jurzan, whom will not be happy to see the images we have of Umbazi soldiers slaughtering innocent Uroduah. However, looking at your note we do have to take somethings into consideration. We will make a public apology if your troops dissipate from our borders. Also we will write a fairly big check to the families of the boys if it would make things better."

 

[Umbazi]

OOC: Damnit posted with the wrong account above >_<

IC:

Kefane allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts, and took a long sip from a water bottle. It was a hot day, it had been a long trip, and he felt exhaustion beginning to creep into his muscles. Nonetheless, he was determined to get everything done before Nightfall. He would be remembered as "Turn-around" Kefane, for getting everything turned around and sorted at a lightning pace. Or so he hoped.

"A fine alliance when you do nothing to prevent Talemantros's rampage. These images you speak of...we would be interested to know where you accquired them, and from whom. Such information would go a long way towards guaranteeing a dissipation of our forces in the Ash Sharqi Provinces." Kafane smiled.
"A public apology and appropriate renumeration would be most generous of you fine gentlemen. We ask that you make it out to the government, however, since I am sure the families would be distraught at recieving so callow a gesture as blood money. We can of course see that the money is...properly spent in a way that would honour the murdered teenagers."
Kafane took another long swig from his water bottle.

"Perhaps now is also the time to...consider guarantees. We need a way of ensuring that a repeat of this...Incident, and International Scrutiny, does not occur again."

 

[Sheridan]

Father Basil smiled to himself. He was well aware of the mercenary forces working for the church within Umbazi, and he had assumed that Kefane had known as well. Or maybe he was just playing dumb? No matter.

"If you were really so very concerned with Talemantine rampage, I wonder why you agreed to have them send supplies into your countries backwater. Of course I bet none of that will reach the Uroduah villages. If we do right any kind of check, it will be going to the families of the deceased... or not at all. We have no interests in feeding the aging corpse that is your 'Great Father'. Now you were saying something about guarantee's?"

 

[Umbazi]

Kefane could tell this Basil was a shrewder operator than the Prime Minister. He reminded himself that the Theocracy in this country was an arrogant, power-hungry clique, and that it was small wonder that the secular government was so ineffectual and easy for him to run rings around in normal affairs. But today he was dealing with the Real Power in Ascalon.

"Very well. We will accept a cheque to the families of the bereaved. We hope it will be sizeable, and the apology genuine and sincere. Regarding Guarantees... I believe a permanent Ascaloni Diplomatic...Mission in Barani, with a direct link to this very Tower, would be essential in preventing breakdowns in communication between our two states. Since you have elected not to pursue the DMZ route we will not ask it, but we will ask that garrissons along our respective borders be of a limited size- perhaps say, no more than 15,000 each. We are happy to withdraw our forces from this Province as soon as we have cleansed it adequately of suspected Criminal elements, as a sign of good faith to your state, naturally. We hope you will also withdraw your forces from the borders."

In truth Kefane, and indeed, the Umbazi State, knew nothing of the ADA incursions beyond the border, assuming the violence was purely criminal-induced. However, they were paranoid/astute enough to assume that the Ascaloni had sizeable millitary forces massing along the border with Umbazi.

"We are of course happy to...entertain whatever counter-proposals you care to make."

 

[Sheridan]

Father Basil held back a smile. He knew that he had brought the Umbazi diplomat down to Ascalon's level and now the negotiations could close.

"We issue the apology this Saturday. However if we are going to create a permanent embassy, then we ask that a Umbazi diplomat do the same here in Ascalon."

 

[Umbazi]

Kefane smiled. "I am happy to fulfill that purpose. I can have my government bring me all I need and begin serving as Ambassador for my country full-time by...Saturday." He smiled mischievously. "Naturally we will expect a suitable building prepared for us all."