| Ligan Lopez | |
 Lopez at the first CAMC conference.
| |
| 1st General of The CAMC | |
| In office: January 1st, 2001- | |
| Preceded by: | N/A |
| Succeded by: | N/A |
| 1st Chairman of The Socialist International | |
| In office: | |
| Preceded by: | N/A |
| Succeded by: | N/A |
| Biography | |
| Born: | January 16th, 1955 |
| Spouse: | Maela Lopez |
| Children: | Laline Lopez |
| Occupation: | Military Commander |
| Religion: | Catholicism |
Ligan Lopez is an ex-Cuban military officer who is now the commander of the CAMC's military wing. He led Cuban and Ethiopian armed forces in a revolution against the Derg regime that he had been sent to support. He became one of Ethiopia's best loved leaders and is regarded by Ethiopian's youth as the best leader the country has ever had. Originally from Cuba, he became a nationalised Ethiopian in 1990 and organised the formation of the Confederation of African Marxist Countries.
History[]
Early Life[]
Lopez was born in Cuba in 1955 which was the year before Fidel Castro's revolution. His father was a supporter of Castro's revolution and as such, they were attacked by the anti-revolutionary forces. His father was killed fighting alongside Castro's forces and his mother was killed by anti-revolutionary forces. With no parents baby Lopez was taken in by a orphanage at age five and he spent his early life in the medley of chaos that was post revolution Cuba. Eventually, however, Ligan managed to improve his situation by enlisting at the Cuban military at age 16. He spent five years in training with the Cuban military as a helicopter pilot as well as basic training before being sent to Angola in 1976.
Angola[]
In Angola Ligan served alongside Cuban military forces in the Angolan Civil War fighting against US and South African forces. He earned a promotion to Sergeant after saving his commanding officer in an airstrike by South African forces. He was respected by the men who served under him and he was regarded as a quick-witted and skilled soldier by his superiors. After fighting in Angola for three years he was sent along with 5,000 extra Cuban forces to Ethiopia to fight in the Ogaden War.
Ethiopia[]
Skilled pilots were in short supply in Ethiopia so Ligan was ordered to report to the area commander of the Ethiopian Armed Forces for assignments. As part of the Cuban/Soviet force he provided military support to the Ethiopian forces by flying in supplies and giving fire support to Derg forces. As a skilled military officer, he was regarded as vital to the war effort in Ethiopia and as such received large amounts of time off and was well paid. He piloted Mi-24 attack helicopters for the Ethiopians as well as fighting alongside Ethiopian/Cuban ground forces. At the end of the conflict he had been promoted again and was one of 10,000 Cubans who remained in Ethiopia to ensure the Derg regime remained in power. Lopez was regarded as one of the best Cuban pilots and after the Ogaden war finished he was offered a position as an advisor to the Ethiopian Air Force. After the Ogaden war he became one of the commanders of the Ethiopian air force and help train up the Ethiopian pilots.
Doomsday[]
Ligan and his fellow Cubans became aware of Doomsday when all reports to the Cuban Government stopped being accepted. After accessing data from USSR satellites, all of the Cuban advisors became aware of the situation. It was speculated amongst the Cuban advisors that their home country would have been nuked. Knowing that their homeland was destroyed, the Cubans decided to stabilize their new home anyway they could.
Post Doomsday[]
The Cubans chose to back the Derg regime they had been sent to protect on the chance that the USSR still existed. The force that the Cubans had was immense. The entire Ethiopian Air Force was behind them as was most of the navy and most of the army's mechanised divisions. For the Derg this gave him a massive advantage as he now had the largest power base in Ethiopia. For a year the Cubans supported the Derg government but by the beginning of 1984 Lopez realised that the Dergs incompetence was costing hundreds of Cuban lives and that the Ethiopian government wasn't abiding by the principles of socialism that they believed in. Aware that his superiors would be unwilling to act, Lopez organized a rebellion within the lower ranks of the army and most of the air force. Along with the commander of the Ethiopian army detachment that had sided with him they formed a military government, the Peoples Republic of Ethiopia, in the two months following nearly the entire Cuban detachment had sided with him and he had signed a peace with the Eritrean rebels.
Commander of the PRE (1984-1989)[]
Although the PRE was a military government the day-to-day running of the country was by a group of exiled civil servants from the last days of Haile Selassie the 1st's government. These were led by Girma Wolde-Giorgis but the real power still lay with Lopez and his fellow Cubans. With the backing of the civil government the conditions for the civilians in the PRE controlled sector of Ethiopia improved dramatically and it eventually became obvious to the Derg that if the people in the part of Ethiopia he controlled became aware of the PRE's improved situation there would be mass migrations that could destroy his government, so in 1987 the PRE was invaded by the Derg regime.
Lopez had been prepared for the potential invasion of the PRE and had prepared the army for a guerrilla war alongside an airmobile assault force consisting of Cuban airborne and helicopters. Lopez commanded the entire PRE military for the duration of the three year civil war and masterminded the plan that resulted in the surrender of the Derg government, Lopez led the assault on the Derg stronghold personally and was shot in the leg by a Derg soldier. After the civil war the entirety of Ethiopia with the exception of the region bordering Somalia was under the control of the PRE and Lopez and the other Cubans relaxed there controlled on the country.
Ethiopia/Eritrea War(1990-2000)[]
Although Lopez was no longer the country's de facto ruler, his opinions still held some weight with the PRE's government and when he suggested that they invade Eritrea to regain land lost to them in the civil war. The government agreed. The war would prove to be one of Lopez's greatest mistakes and cost hundreds of Ethiopian lives, although in practical terms the war was a victory as the PRE regained its lost territory. It was pyrrhic victory as nearly a thousand Ethiopian lives would be lost to retake a small area of land. Despite this, the war was considered to be a success for Ethiopian forces as it led to the creation of the Confederation of African Marxist Countries, an organisation for which Lopez is the military commander.
General Of The CAMC[]
As CAMC general Lopez reorganized the military forces of the two member states into a single command structure. He also ordered the Eritreans to modernise their navy which culminated in the conversion of the seaplane carrier Eritrea into an aircraft carrier. When South Sudan joined the organisation, he oversaw the induction of its military into the CAMC and its conversion to a fully fledged army instead of merely ex-rebels.
Lopez has also been involved in the East Sudan War as the commander of the CAMC forces in the area, he also masterminded the Eritrean invasion of northern Sudan.
Foundation of the Socialist International[]
When the Siberian forign minister visited Ethiopia, Lopez was the leader of a group of politicians and military officers who felt that aligning themselves with the USSR would damage any chances of having good relations with the SAC and ANZC. When their arguments were ignored and Ethiopia joined the CSTO Lopez suggested the creation of an independent body for socialist nations, this was welcomed by the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Lopez was dispatched to gain support from socialist parties across the world.
Lopez spent the next month traveling to different parts of the world to gain support for the International. He even flew over ICU territory in Somalia so he could visit the Republic of Somalia and visited many nations that in general were against the USSR. Through his skills as a diplomat Lopez was able to convince most of the world's socialist parties to join. Including those from the ANZC and SAC. With their involvement secured, the stage was set and the International was formed in late April 2010. Following this, he organised the 2010 Socialist International Conference which began on the 24th of June.
Personal Life[]
Lopez's childhood friend and long time partner Maela Vasqonces was lucky enough to survive doomsday in Cuba and as soon as relations were re-established in 1990 the two met up in Addis Abbiba where they were later married in 1991, They have an eighteen year old daughter Laline Lopez who is a soldier in the Ethiopian army. In his spare time Lopez is an avid chess player, enjoys long walks with his wife and swimming.
Military Strategy[]
Lopez's military strategies focus around rapid and mobile warfare, unsurprisingly, as an ex-helicopter pilot Lopez's preferred method of assault is through airborne cavalry but if none were available he would use paratroopers, naval infantry, infantry mounted in IFV's or fast moving Cruiser Tanks'.
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