Uwanda and Mugabia: The Strategic Situation

Uwanda's all out invasion of Mugabia had barely begun, but a number of significant events had taken place:

First, Uwanda had caught Mugabia flat footed.  Despite the obvious signs, the Mugabian spies, and the Soviet warnings, President Upepo-Mfuko, the egomaniacal warlord that he was, believed that he knew best. He had misjudged Uwanda, who decided to act, because of the impact that the border dispute had on Uwanda's economy, and to the well-being of those in office.  Mugabia's leader had failed to understand just how effective his ULF support had been.

Initially, Mugabia's Air Force had made a good showing, far better than Uwanda had imagined, and despite the comparative numbers of aircraft, this had given the Mugabian leader a false sense of security.  With Mugabian Air Force's numbers now rapidly dwindling, the situation was not so favorable as it once appeared.

Though seemingly of little importance on a global perspective, the escalated war surprised the world powers.  Potentially, it gave the super-powers another stage on which to fight a proxy war.  But it was not a stage on which either Cold War participant had intended to perform.  While young men followed their leaders, and people died, the power-brokers considered how to best play their new pawns.

In the UN, representatives lobbied for support, and for a moment at least, others gave consideration to the lobbyists.  Bordering nations were suddenly concerned about the spread of unrest and war, and about how all of this might affect surrounding economies, and other interests. For now, the players mostly just postured, until time might come to act, but they had at least taken notice.

The United Kingdom had maintained relatively strong ties with Uwanda, and considered the success of Uwanda in the post colonial era as being a direct result of their effort.  Much business was conducted with Uwanda, and nobody wanted to lose money.  The United Kingdom and its resources were always only a handshake away.

Though France had severed its ties to Mugabia after a messy independence, they still had interest in the region and even felt tension in the long stretched strings of colonialism.  There were those still connected to Mugabia, and poised to strengthen those connections if the opportunity arose.

Cuba had advisors and limited forces already in Mugabia, and the call to defend and extend the reach of communism was already being heard.  Within hours of Uwanda crossing the border, Cuba was re-evaluating its obligation to the cause.

The Soviet Union had no illusions about Mr. Upepo-Mfuko, and though he would always ask for more than he deserved, just how much he might be given was now a question of greater consideration.  The answer was directly proportional to just how well he would behave.  Requests for aircraft, air defenses, and even Soviet troops had already been made, but for the most part, no answer had yet been given.

Thus far, the United States had been the only outsider to act.  Though less secretly than they believe, they had been the first to violate the integrity of the conflict, and aid a nation in a state of war.  As Uwanda's troops aimed their first shots, the US was already transferring West German modified Sidewinder missiles to Uwanda, in what turned out to be a surprisingly important act, given the earliest actions in the war.

Barely a mention of the conflict had been seen or heard in the nightly news, but Yakovlev Forgers danced impressively from the deck of Minsk off the coast of Mugabia, and the USS Carl Vinson made haste to cast its shadow over Minsk.