Kingdom of Egypt
March, 1950
”And so it is I, your glorious and exultant king, that be the one to inform you, the great citizens of Egypt and the Sudan that British forces are withdrawing from our lands as we speak. After the recent outbreaks of crime and violence that I, of course, do not condone I am happy to see an end to the bloodshed and the mayhem. I hope that with this we can move forward into a new age of prosperity and glory.”
-Sultan Faruk I making a speech to the population after the British withdrawal.
With Egypt finally free from all foreign powers it was time to begin making it a power in this world. However there were still problems on the home front that Faruk needed to deal with. The leftist groups that had become armed during the anti-British push were continuing their work only this time attacking the Sultans private grounds. His palaces were attacked and on more than one occasion basic assassination attempts were made. It seemed that people were still not happy with the way his country was ruled. Police officers were given permission to detain individuals without good cause and they were also given permission to randomly search people’s property and belongings if they had any inclination of an illegal agenda. This would only make the populace angrier as with the increased police authority more liberal groups begun to seek out illegal means of fighting the regime alongside their legal methods of protest. The prisons all across Egypt are now filled to the brim and Faruk had nowhere else to put the suspected criminals. A new plan was put forward by Prime Minister Nahhas, the state acquisition of the Suez Canal. Until British withdrawal it had been a British possession however now it had fallen into the private hands of those who lived around it. By taking the canal it would give Faruk somewhere to send the less ‘volatile’ inmates whilst increasing the countries revenue, and so on the 7th of March Egyptian soldiers were marched into the Suez area, evicted all of the people living in and around the canal and claimed it for the Egyptian government as a possession of the state, placing 2,000 prisoners in work camps around the canal for manual labour and repairs. This of course only made people even more furious with the Faruk regime and even more willing to go to any length to have him abdicate.
On a more positive note with the acquisition of the Suez Canal Egypt was able to place a tariff on all ships passing through in an effort to bring in a profit from it. A charter was drawn up and sent to all countries that would use the canal or had done previously.
Finally a letter of thanks was drawn up to Clement Attlee.
Summary
With British withdrawal from Egyptian lands people celebrate.
Extremist groups continue to fight, attacking the regime now.
Egypt has taken ownership of the Suez Canal and introduced The Suez International Charter.
A message of thanks has been sent to Clement Attlee for withdrawing British forces.
March, 1950
”And so it is I, your glorious and exultant king, that be the one to inform you, the great citizens of Egypt and the Sudan that British forces are withdrawing from our lands as we speak. After the recent outbreaks of crime and violence that I, of course, do not condone I am happy to see an end to the bloodshed and the mayhem. I hope that with this we can move forward into a new age of prosperity and glory.”
-Sultan Faruk I making a speech to the population after the British withdrawal.
With Egypt finally free from all foreign powers it was time to begin making it a power in this world. However there were still problems on the home front that Faruk needed to deal with. The leftist groups that had become armed during the anti-British push were continuing their work only this time attacking the Sultans private grounds. His palaces were attacked and on more than one occasion basic assassination attempts were made. It seemed that people were still not happy with the way his country was ruled. Police officers were given permission to detain individuals without good cause and they were also given permission to randomly search people’s property and belongings if they had any inclination of an illegal agenda. This would only make the populace angrier as with the increased police authority more liberal groups begun to seek out illegal means of fighting the regime alongside their legal methods of protest. The prisons all across Egypt are now filled to the brim and Faruk had nowhere else to put the suspected criminals. A new plan was put forward by Prime Minister Nahhas, the state acquisition of the Suez Canal. Until British withdrawal it had been a British possession however now it had fallen into the private hands of those who lived around it. By taking the canal it would give Faruk somewhere to send the less ‘volatile’ inmates whilst increasing the countries revenue, and so on the 7th of March Egyptian soldiers were marched into the Suez area, evicted all of the people living in and around the canal and claimed it for the Egyptian government as a possession of the state, placing 2,000 prisoners in work camps around the canal for manual labour and repairs. This of course only made people even more furious with the Faruk regime and even more willing to go to any length to have him abdicate.
On a more positive note with the acquisition of the Suez Canal Egypt was able to place a tariff on all ships passing through in an effort to bring in a profit from it. A charter was drawn up and sent to all countries that would use the canal or had done previously.
The Suez International Charter
As of the 7th of March the Suez International Charter is now in effect, the following terms will be placed on all vessels indiscriminately when using the canal.
-Firstly all vessels must undergo a strict inspection by the canal authorities to assure the Egyptian peoples that no illegal objects or people are being smuggled in.
-Secondly any vessels wanting to access the canal must send their intention to do so to the canal authorities at least 12 hours before arrival.
-Thirdly any country wishing to use the canal for the transportation of military personnel or equipment must seek direct permission from the Egyptian government before departure.
-Fourthly all ships using the canal must pay a Usage Tax which should be to the value of 10% of their cargo. If the amount cannot be paid then it may be billed to the country or company of the ships origin and expected to be paid in full within a fortnight.
-Any ship that fails these rules shall be denied access and docking. Failure to heed the orders of the canal authorities and this charter will result in warning shots being fired and failure to follow orders after this will cause canal authorities to open fire on the vessel in self-defence.
Exceptions may be made for certain countries or companies if a deal can be struck between themselves and the Kingdom of Egypt. For example a Canal License may be bought; this will allow a single ship to use the canal for a year tax free. The price of this will vary depending on the size of the ship and its cargo. However they will have to submit to all of the other laws regarding the canal.
Signed King Faruk I of Egypt and the Sudan
Finally a letter of thanks was drawn up to Clement Attlee.
To: Clement Attlee, Prime Minister
From: Sultan Faruk I of Egypt and the Sudan,
I thank you for you quick and hasty response to my plea, I did not want to make this an international issue however we have had difficulties in the past when dealing on the international stage and so I did not want to repeat mistakes my former leaders made. As a token of my gratitude for your withdrawal I am happy to half the tariff on British ships going through the Suez Canal for the next year. I hope we are not at a stage of disdain for each other because of the recent events.
Summary
With British withdrawal from Egyptian lands people celebrate.
Extremist groups continue to fight, attacking the regime now.
Egypt has taken ownership of the Suez Canal and introduced The Suez International Charter.
A message of thanks has been sent to Clement Attlee for withdrawing British forces.
