Editing Africa (section)

== History ==

The political history of Africa after 1960 included the independence of most remaining European colonies and the formation of new national governments. The [[Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]] began establishing political control in Africa during the 1970s, first through Liberia and later through a regional command whose authority reached other parts of the continent.

=== Establishment of Tanoan rule ===

The Tanoa Einsatzgruppen gained control over [[Liberia]] through financial pressure and security agreements with Liberian officials. On 15 October 1974, a government led by Amos D. Karpeh adopted the name [[Großliberia]]. Karpeh signed the Monrovia Security and Development Accord, under which Tanoan advisers received authority over defense planning and port security. Political parties opposing Tanoan rule were suspended, while the existing presidency remained in place.<ref name="großliberia-establishment">[[Großliberia#Establishment|“Establishment”]], ''Großliberia''.</ref>

[[Jan Paap]] held supreme Tanoan authority over Großliberia until 1980. When [[Eef Paap]] succeeded him as [[Führer of Tanoa]], the regime reorganized its overseas commands. Two weeks after Eef became Führer, [[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika]] was established with Jan's assistance. Monrovia was chosen as the headquarters because Liberia had already served as the regime's principal base in Africa for six years. The new command reported to the [[Oberkommando der Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]].<ref name="african-command" />

=== Expansion of the African command ===

Großliberia expanded on 1 July 1988 when [[Sierra Leone]] was incorporated as Westprovinz Sierra Leone. The change followed the Monrovia–Freetown Administrative Union Agreement, signed on 12 April. [[Freetown]] became the provincial capital, while the central government remained in Monrovia. The addition of Freetown gave the puppet state another Atlantic port and brought Sierra Leonean mineral resources under its administration.<ref name="sierra-leone">[[Großliberia#Incorporation of Sierra Leone|“Incorporation of Sierra Leone”]], ''Großliberia''.</ref>

In 1991, Tanoan officials took control of [[Rwanda]] after entering its security institutions during the civil war. The Rwandan presidency remained in Kigali, but national security decisions came under the supervision of SS-Großabschnitt Afrika. Officers who opposed the takeover were removed from their posts or subordinated to officials who accepted Tanoan control.<ref name="rwanda" />

The same year, the regime brought [[Jubaland]] under its African command. A regional administration had formed around [[Kismayo]] following the breakdown of Somali state authority. Tanoan officers secured port access through agreements with local leaders and gave support to commanders willing to cooperate. Jubaland retained a separate government, while the port of Kismayo handled supplies for regional operations.<ref name="jubaland" />

[[Namibia]] was subordinated to the command in 1994. Its president, [[Hendrik Mupenda]], led the puppet administration until the fall of Tanoan rule. Namibian authorities continued to operate government offices, but Tanoan representatives supervised important political appointments and security decisions. Mining areas and transport routes became part of the regime's economic operations.<ref name="namibia">[[Namibia#Tanoan subordination|“Tanoan subordination”]], ''Namibia''.</ref>

In 2000, the regime placed [[Annobón]] under direct Tanoan administration. Its position in the Gulf of Guinea made it a transfer point on the sea route between African detention facilities and Argentina. Unlike the puppet states, the island was governed directly by Tanoan authorities.<ref name="annobon" />

=== Administration and repression ===

The African regional command transmitted orders from [[Georgetown]], [[Tanoa]], to its own offices and subordinate governments. In Großliberia, the president and civilian ministries handled domestic administration under Tanoan supervision. In Rwanda, security agreements were used to replace senior officers and bring detention decisions under the regional command. Local collaborators also served in the security forces that enforced Tanoan orders.<ref name="administration">[[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika#Organization and administration|“Organization and administration”]], ''SS-Großabschnitt Afrika''.</ref>

Security units enforced the policy called the [[Golden order]]. They arrested resistance members and destroyed villages classified as hostile. Tanoan offices arranged indoctrination programs for children, particularly in territories where local government institutions had been brought under the African command. Members of the [[Féminas-abteilung Nacional de Eef Paap]] also visited controlled territories. Post-collapse investigations documented abductions of women and children during some of these visits.<ref name="operations">[[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika#Operations|“Operations”]], ''SS-Großabschnitt Afrika''.</ref>

In Jubaland, the regime established the [[22th Allgemeine SS Division Jubaland]] in 1998. The unit recruited Somali Muslims loyal to the local administration. A concentration camp near Kismayo held political prisoners and civilians accused of helping resistance groups. Prisoners were compelled to work on projects associated with the port and the regional command. Some were transferred through Annobón to detention and labor sites in Argentina.<ref name="kismayo">[[Jubaland#Kismayo concentration camp|“Kismayo concentration camp”]], ''Jubaland''.</ref>

=== Camps and forced labor ===

The [[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika]] supervised concentration camps and forced-labor facilities in its territories. Tanoan officers worked with local security organizations to register and guard prisoners. The [[Bau-Einsatz]] constructed camps and organized work detachments. Prisoners could be transferred between African sites or sent to facilities overseas.<ref name="camps">[[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika#Camp and forced-labor system|“Camp and forced-labor system”]], ''SS-Großabschnitt Afrika''.</ref>

The [[Gbarnga death camp]] was built in Großliberia between 1992 and 1993. It opened in 1993 as a detention and forced-labor facility near [[Gbarnga]]. Prisoners worked on roads and timber clearing, while other detainees were held because they opposed Tanoan rule. Approximately 120,000–130,000 people were imprisoned there during its operation. An estimated 50,000–58,000 were murdered or died from conditions deliberately imposed by the camp administration.<ref name="gbarnga">[[Gbarnga death camp#History|“History”]], ''Gbarnga death camp'', [[Gbarnga death camp#Atrocities and death toll|“Atrocities and death toll”]], ''Gbarnga death camp''.</ref>

The [[Annobón transit camp]] was established in 2003 and became fully operational in 2004. Prisoners brought to the island were held until transport became available. The Bau-Einsatz maintained the site and supplied work details, while guards controlled the detention areas. An Argentine vessel converted for prisoner transport carried detainees across the Atlantic. The camp continued operating until 30 November 2024.<ref name="annobon" />

=== Collapse and liberation ===

The African command remained active during the final days of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen in November 2024. Its commander, [[Quique Miguel Ponce]], died at [[Ravi-Ta]] on 24 November. Communications with the central government subsequently broke down. Transport services and financial support to regional offices stopped, and the command formally ceased to exist on 30 November.<ref name="collapse">[[SS-Großabschnitt Afrika#Collapse and aftermath|“Collapse and aftermath”]], ''SS-Großabschnitt Afrika''.</ref>

Some Tanoan officers and local collaborators continued to guard camps and security offices after the central government fell. In December 2024, African resistance groups formed the [[African Christian Liberation Front]] to fight these remaining forces. Its first operations focused on releasing prisoners from smaller detention sites and reopening roads. During the following months, its units captured offices containing guard lists and forced-labor records.<ref name="aclf-formation">[[African Christian Liberation Front#Formation|“Formation”]], ''African Christian Liberation Front''.</ref><ref name="liberation" />

In West Africa, the front fought Großliberian guards and secured roads between Monrovia and the former Sierra Leonean districts. In March 2025, its fighters liberated the Gbarnga death camp with assistance from members of the [[Fish Collective]] and Tanoan resistance groups. Remaining guards were captured or fled. Prisoners received medical assistance, and camp records were recovered from administrative buildings.<ref name="west-africa">[[African Christian Liberation Front#West Africa|“West Africa”]], ''African Christian Liberation Front''.</ref>

The front also operated in Rwanda, where it recovered detention records and helped release prisoners from guarded sites. In Namibia, its members worked with transitional authorities to secure former labor facilities and capture isolated Tanoan personnel. Operations in Jubaland followed the withdrawal of the region's Tanoan command offices.<ref name="great-lakes">[[African Christian Liberation Front#Rwanda and the Great Lakes|“Rwanda and the Great Lakes”]], ''African Christian Liberation Front''.</ref><ref name="southern-africa">[[African Christian Liberation Front#Namibia and southern Africa|“Namibia and southern Africa”]], ''African Christian Liberation Front''.</ref>