Leader: General Basenji
Known Roster:
Base of Operations: Northern Uganda; they have also been active in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan
First Appearance: New Vindicators Academy of Europe #12
Significant Appearances: New Vindicators Academy of Europe #12, New Vindicators Academy of Europe #13, New Vindicators Academy of Europe #19
Biography: In 1979, Walkabout strove to end the conflict between the United Nations and Moksha as peaceably as he could. Knowing that no nation would give the citizens of Moksha asylum, he elected instead to scatter them around the globe—giving them an escape from persecution as well as preventing them from swiftly regrouping and continuing the war.
Years passed and Uganda was being ripped apart by rebellions: the Bantu groups in the south and southwest formed the Popular Resistance Army to rebel against the Uganda National Liberation Army, only to align with the Uganda Freedom Fighters. Meanwhile, in the West Nile, the Uganda National Rescue Front and the Former Uganda National Army rose up to attack the forces of the Second Obote Regime.
As the war raged on, it was the people of Uganda who suffered the most: the National Resistance Army looted their livestock, burned their homes, raped their women, and murdered their men. Many of the survivors of these atrocities found themselves imprisoned in concentration camps.
In the midst of such swirling chaos, rumors of another guerilla group began to spread: the Uganda Unity Brigade was led by a man known only as General Basenji, who claimed to be a tribal priest possessed by angels and sent by God to lead the Ugandan people out of the suffering the countless fighting had brought upon them.
General Basenji is a former citizen of Moksha about whom little is known. Those who have seen him claim that he’s part-animal. Indeed, his name is that of a hunting dog originally from Central Africa. His abilities coupled with the staggering number of victories he’s had over the Uganda People’s Defense Force have led many of his followers to believe his claims that his powers are supernatural in origin and that he is divinely protected.
In the decades he’s been active in his campaign, he’s drawn other Mokshans to him—naming them lieutenants in the army he’s created from abducted children.
Recent Events
When political activists attempted to make the leaders of the UUB infamous, their attention was brought to Matt Kowalski, a former Mokshan now living in Finland. Kowalski recognized several of his former comrades and, when he realized that the United Nations was not going to dispatch the Vindicators to stop them, rallied more Mokshans to do so.
Kowalski contacted Joseph Cahan, Russell Dhaese, Sean Kircher, Jerry Meyers, and Philip Sonnemaker and drafted them into his band of guerilla fighters. They were joined by Mustafa Rauf, a Turkish man who had been inspired by the Sayfo to dedicate his life to fighting for civil liberties, much like his hero, Tadeusz Kościuszko.
For months, the guerillas vexed the UUB and appeared to be preventing them from gaining more ground. Shortly after the defeat of Laputa in Vienna, Kowalski’s estranged son, Otso Karell, appeared on national news, pleading for his father to contact him.
Sensing an opportunity to eradicate their enemies, the UUB sent Larry Harrison to retrieve Otso. He told him that he was a friend of Kowalski’s from his days in Moksha, and that Kowalski was in trouble. He told Otso that a group of guerillas was fighting the UUB and that he too desperately wanted to find the Finnish boy’s father. Oblivious as to the truth, Otso agreed to help the UUB find his father.
Upon tracking them down the guerillas were massacred one after another. Skew managed to trick Otso, Kowalski, and Cahan into going through a portal into Rwanda, separating them from the others. Though Cahan refused to give up on his friends, Kowalski wanted to protect his son more than he wanted revenge and returned to Vienna. (New Vindicators Academy of Europe #12)
Months later, Kowalski devoted himself to trying to raise awareness about the atrocities the UUB was committing while vehemently campaigning to have the United Nations dispatch the Vindicators to Uganda. Seeing that the United Nations would not care about an insurgency contained to Central Africa, Tallemaja used enchantment magic to compel Ironside to attack one of Kowalski’s rallies. Kowalski, his son, and other students from the New Vindicators Academy of Europe put the man down, upon which they realized he had been controlled. (NVAE #13)
When their sister school found themselves in a medical emergency, Doctor Talley left the Vienna school, leaving them without a physician. Headmaster Newton dispatched a group of New Vindicators (Blue Knight, Greystone, Magnitude, and Ursa) to Uganda to locate and recruit Doctor Bacon. His fears that their mission would cause them to cross paths with the UUB were realized: the UUB had captured Bacon and—knowing about his immortality—used the Artful Dodger as an intermediary to sell him to Al-Akhwan. The New Vindicators clashed with the UUB and retreated once they had Doctor Bacon. (NVAE #20)
Goals
The UUB strives to overthrow the government of Uganda and forge a new state based on the religion General Basenji has fabricated around Neo-Sapiens as angels sent by God.
Crimes
The International Criminal Court has issued sealed arrest warrants for General Basenji and his lieutenants for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UUB has been accused of murder, rape, mutilation, kidnapping, and forcing children to become soldiers or sex workers.
Michuru wrote:First and foremost, in an effort to sell the UUB as the good guys, they were originally composed of player characters. Each one was created and played by a player in the NVAE game. Thanks go out to Arkrite, Arthur Eld, flynnarrel, HorsenHero, and TattooedMan for their help in making McGuffin's life that much worse. Seriously, though... You guys are amazing and I'm very grateful that you all still want to keep playing this silly little game with me. Thank you, my friends.
That being said, if you have a modern link you want me to use or what not, let me know, and I'll edit it into the roster.
Now then... The Uganda Unity Brigade is really just the Lord's Resistance Army, while General Basenji is just Joseph Kony with a dash of General Butt Naked, because there's not an original bone in my body.