Ntoto

[jamescfm]

President Kasa resigns under pressure from Ntotoan military
11 February 5610

Henry Kasa has announced his resignation as president following discussions with the leadership of the Ntoto Defence Force. In a statement issued this morning, Kasa said he would step down at the end of the week. Ariel Umoja is set to be inaugurated as vice-president before then, to allow him to succeed Kasa as president upon his resignation.

Kasa’s decision follows two weeks of instability prompted by the detention of Umoja by the national authorities. In the following days, there were protests across the country in support of Umoja, whose father Kembo served as president for 25 years. The decision to place him under house arrest alarmed many within the government too.

As public anger continued to grow, it became clear the police and the armed forces would not back the president if the protests became violent. Earlier this week, Kasa’s advisors reportedly started trying to convince him to step down. In the end, the decision was made for him. Last night, the Chief of the Defence Staff informed the president he must resign, or the armed forces would take matters into their own hands.

Ariel Umoja is now likely to serve the majority of his late father’s five year term. Though he has been involved in frontline politics for over a decade, it is not yet clear how Umoja will govern. Like his father, he has a close relationship to the country’s military leadership. Defence spending will continue to be a central concern for the government. Aside from this, the priorities of the new administration might not become clear for some time.