Treaty of Narasseta
Long name:
| |
|---|---|
| Signed | 24 August 2012 |
| Location | Narasseta, Ardmore |
| Effective | 1 November 2012 |
| Expiration | 28 November 2016 (effectively) |
| Parties |  Algoquona Urcea |
| Languages | Julian Ænglish Algosh |
The Treaty of Narasseta was a treaty between Urcea and Algoquona establishing regular borders and diplomatic relations between the two nations. It also formally ended the War of the Northern Confederation, which had seen a permanent ceasefire since 1 July 2010, and established the Unnuaq mission exclusion zone in northern Algoquona. Beginning in 2015, both parties consistently accused the other of breaking the spirit of the agreement, and in November of 2016 Algoquona effectively abrogated the treaty, leading to Operation Mission Shield.
Background and negotiation
During the War of the Northern Confederation, the hundreds-year old Northern Confederation collapsed under the weight of internal division and military intervention from Urcea. The Confederation ceased functioning in the spring of 2010, but the Algosh people - one of the primary constituents of the Confederation - seized control of the remains of the Confederation in an event known as the Algosh coup, then claimed the status as the Confederation's legal successor and continued fighting. Algoquona, as the new state was known, kept fighting until July 2010 when its forces were ejected from Cheektowaga, after which time both sides agreed to a ceasefire. Peace negotiations began on 15 July 2010 at Electorsbourg, and Urcean negotiators initially tried to obtain a formal peace Uti possidetis, or based on the borders currently held by both sides. Algoquona used the negotiation time to establish hegemony over most of the remaining tribes of the former Confederation, using diplomacy and, allegedly, military action, so much so that by 2011 most of the Northern Confederation had been incorporated into the newly reformed Federal State of Algoquona. Urcean negotiators considered this a breach of good faith and a violation of the principles Algoquonan negotiators had been pressing - namely that of self-determination. The Royal and Imperial Army was again mobilized in New Harren as negotiations nearly broke down, but both sides agreed to mediation by Ardmore and agreed to maintain the ceasefire.
Urcea had three primary goals for the treaty at the beginning of negotiations, the paramount of which was a formal end to the War of the Northern Confederation and gradual demilitarization of New Harren in order to allow for economic development of the Kingdom. Their second goal was a permanent border solution with regards to Algoquona and New Harren, and the third goal was guarantees of protection of various Catholic missions in the arctic north of the country which had existed for hundreds of years. Algoquona had two primary goals, the first of which was recognition of Algoquona as the formal legal successor of the Northern Confederation, and the second of which was a provision to give Algoquona diplomatic and legal protection from Urcea. Most of these goals were amenable to the other party, but the central issue dividing negotiators was the repercussions of recognizing Algoquona as successor of the Northern Confederation; the latter wanted to be recognized as the legitimate government over the entirety of the Confederation, which problematically included the territory now part of New Harren. Urcea rejected the successor clause during negotiations several times, but finally reached a breakthrough in the mid-summer of 2012 as Ardmori mediators successfully convinced Algoquona to formally recognize New Harren as no longer an "integral part of the Northern Confederation", which allowed Urcea the flexibility to recognize the legal succesison.
The negotiations also sought to resolve outstanding issues regarding migratory and semi-migratory peoples along the borders of New Harren and Algoquona. To that end, both countries agreed to create corridors along their borders where the line of sovereignty would be less strict, and grazing and other traditional activities would still be allowed. In New Harren, this periphery area became the military frontier. Algoquona pledged to create a comparable area, but never did so following negotiations.
Key provisions
The Treaty was signed on 24 August 2012 and included a number of articles and provisions relating to "permanent and perpetual peace" between the Kingdom of New Harren and Algoquona. Among these provisions were:
- Algoquona's recognition of the sovereignty and integrity of the Kingdom of New Harren
- A final border settlement between New Yustnona and Algoquona
- The establishment of a migratory frontier for both countries
- The reestablishment of formal diplomatic relations between Algoquona and Urcea (and, by proxy, New Harren)
- The mutual recognition of the end of the War of the Northern Confederation and dissolution of the Northern Confederation
- Urcean recognition of Algoquona as the Confederation's legal successor, which soon became accepted at Urcea's insistence by the League of Nations
- The ability for border tribes hostile to Algoquona to relocate to New Harren
- The exchange of prisoners of war
- The establishment of an Unnuaq mission exclusion zone among the 18 Missions of St. Thomas in the former northeastern fringe of the Confederation, providing that Algoquona demilitarize the area and allow privileges for the missions to continue their ministry
- The exclusion of Urcean citizens and commercial interests from Algoquona
- A non-binding general agreement and understanding of peace and disarmament in Northwestern Crona, particularly by Urcea; this provision was known as Article 25
Failure and aftermath
The provisions of the treaty were controversial in both Urcea and Algoquona; in Urcea, the government lead by James Cossus Reed was criticized as being too lenient on the Algoquonans, whom they had just defeated in war, while many in Algoquona considered the treaty a betrayal of the legacy of the Confederation. Despite initial unrest, however, the treaty entered into force in November of 2012 and provided the basis of peaceful relations and coexistence for the next three years. Beginning in 2015, however, Algoquona began to lodge a series of formal complaints with the League of Nations that Urcea was violating the spirit of the treaty as well as the letter of Article 25 by its increasing militarization and involvement in the South Nysdra War, and that the annexation of Cetsencalia was a violation of the treaty. In turn, Urcea also began to lodge formal complaints and issue requests for compliance to Algoquona for ongoing issues relating to the harassment of the Unnuaq mission exclusion zone. Particularly, local militias aligned with the Algoquonan government began to harass the mission zone with raids and kidnappings, though the Algoquonan government retained plausible deniability since it was not official government forces. Algoquona lost considerable diplomatic leverage with the adoption by the League of Nations of the Western Crona Emergency Resolution, which it voted against in the League of Nations General Assembly.
A period of what many analysts referred to as "diplomatic bickering" continued through 2016, as the completion of the South Nysdra War and establishment of the Kingdom of Quetzenkel was viewed by Algoquona as an unacceptable breach. A growing consensus among the Council of Hierarchs indicated that the Treaty had outlived its usefulness, and that if it did not restrain Urcea from acting with impunity in Crona, it should be abrogated. Through much of October and early November, there was still enough support for the treaty until Urcea signed the Nysdra Sea Treaty in mid November. Policymakers in Algoquona now directly viewed Urcea's ambitions as "nakedly imperial", and on November 28th, 2016, it announced it would be functionally abrogating the treaty by "no longer abiding by its provisions or participating in its settlements". Urcea's Ministry of State made a last minute offer to renegotiate the Treaty.
Following the breakdown of the treaty and various provocations made against the mission territory and New Harren itself, Urcea launched Operation Mission Shield, seizing the Unnuaq Chain by force and formally establishing Urcean military protection over the reinstated Unnuaq mission exclusion zone.