Joubert calls out to Jerusalem

[Botha]

[color="#000080"]
The Government of Transvaal issued a statement from its Foreign Minister, Andries Joubert, requesting face-to-face discussions with his counterpart in Rebel Army on the future of Central Africa.

Today in the National [i]Volksraad [/i]in Pretoria, Minister Joubert outlined the Transvaler Government’s sphere of interest in Central Africa:

“Our nation’s concern is the security of its frontiers and having a say in who our future neighbours may be. Transvaal has always desired to see a quilt-work of independent states along its borders however for most of our history we have looked across our frontier’s barbwire at massive empires. Therefore we would like to discuss the establishment of a Transvaler protectorate in those territories adjacent to our Republic’s frontier.”

“Therefore on behalf of the Republic of Transvaal, I call upon my counterpart in Jerusalem to meet with me face-to-face to discuss the future of Central Africa. Everyone knows that our two great nations have not had the most amicable relations over the years, however my government has indicated its willingness to leave the past in the past and make the first step to open a new chapter in better relations and a better understanding between Transvaal and Rebel Army.”

[IMG]http://i56.tinypic.com/zv7sef.jpg[/IMG]
[b][i]Foreign Minister Andries Joubert[/i][/b]

As a sign of Joubert’s openness to change, he ordered henceforth that foreign ministry staff were “…no longer to refer and regard Rebel Army as strictly a Middle Eastern power interloping in African affairs” and Pretoria “…would be willing to recognize de jure that Rebel Army has a right to consider itself an African power”.

In related news, the Government of Transvaal announced that should Northern Angola be formally transferred to a Transvaler protectorate, that Southern Angola would be re-united with the North in the protectorate.

[IMG]http://i56.tinypic.com/25gb32g.jpg[/IMG]
Map showing Transvaal’s sphere of interest (in yellow) in Central Africa[/color]

[Lavo]

Mohammed Hazzan looked out of the window, and began to ponder. To him, Transvaal was a bastion of racism and discrimination, a place which was nearly as backwards as the Middle Eastern fascist and autocratic states of the past. On one hand, he had absolutely no interest in dealing with Transvaal, nor allowing them any sort of power or legroom. On the other, he realized that this could be an opportunity to reunite the peoples of Angola, and by extension liberate more states. It seemed that the old diplomat would have to speak with the devil, whether he would like it or not.

[Botha]

[quote name='Lavo_2' timestamp='1295645435' post='2589539']It seemed that the old diplomat would have to speak with the devil, whether he would like it or not.[/quote]

[color="#000080"]“The first hurdle has been achieved” stated a relieved Minister Joubert to the rest of the executive cabinet of the national government, “…as Pretoria has been able to finally open a channel of dialogue with the government of Rebel Army. Now the next step is to figure out where I will meet with their foreign minister Mohammed Hazzan.”

Joubert knew that a difficult road lay ahead in his discussions with Rebel Army. A deep rift of mistrust and utter dislike ran between Pretoria and Jerusalem since as long as anyone could remember.

Jerusalem had typically viewed Transvaal as a bunch of stuck-up and arrogant white supremacist bigots – while Pretoria’s perception of Rebel Army was equating them with the yellow peril and Asiatic hordes of the Middle East who has seeped into North Africa as interlopers. Whether either or both perceptions were true was lost amongst the clouded hatred both sides had for each other and which had been allowed to stew for many years.

However, the foreign minister was hoping that he would be able to catch Mohammed Hazzan off-guard.

‘It’s time to change our people’s – and our government’s – attitude to them, We won’t know unless we try to talk with them… and certainly they won’t be expecting a brown man to represent Pretoria’ replied Joubert to the Transvaler prime minister, when asked whether Joubert thought dialogue was a waste of time or not.[/color]