Catechini War

The Catechini War' (Chona: Maqanakuy Katakini) was an armed conflict fought between 1919 and 1922 between SiWallqanqa (later joined by the Colonial Forces of Mero-Curgovina) and Huari tribes of the Catechin foothills.

Origins
From the turn of the century, both the Curgov colonial government and the SiWallqanqa government had begun to rapidly industrialise the Catechin foothills, to access the large mineral reserves of coal, copper, zinc and molybdenum. This was easily done by large scale open-pit mining operations, but though highly profitable, it caused environmental damage and displacement of local populations, who were of the Huari branch of the Chona people, and despite the hardship recieved none of the profit.

Following the outbreak of the Grand Campaigns, a massive demand for war-making materiels emerged, and the Catechin foothills were prime for further exploitation. The mines producing copper-zinc-molybdenum and coal were rapidly expanded, the molybdenum proving vital to armour plating and heavy artillery production.

Early conflict
The Huari tribes of the Catechin foothills revolted and formed the Catechinnic Republic (Chona: Katakini Republika) while simultaneously launching attacks against SiWi and Curgov workers at various mines and rail stations in the region.

SiWallqanqan forces under the command of the inexperienced Marquis Kuza VaPalla, drawn mainly from poorly trained garrison units, launched an initial advance into the foothills, crossing the border into the Betellen River Colony. Meeting with several small skirmishes, the SiWallqanqan force was drawn further in, beyond the reach of its hastily organised supply lines. A camp was set up at the village of Unqaycha, where the SiWallqanqan forces stopped to allow their supply lines time to catch up, however after a few days, a force of Catechini fighters ambushed the camp and caused severe damage, scattering the inexperienced SiWallqanqan fighters.

Chanaya's Campaign
Following this a second force was organised under the highly experienced Lt. General Harold Chanaya, this force was far better organised, equipped and trained. Lt. Gen Chanaya then spent the next two and a half years skirmishing and chasing the Catechini fighters throughout the region.

He established a series of internment camps, to house the civilians scattered by his clearance operations of the foothills, which also served to rob the Catechini fighters of their supply and flush them out of their concealment. Following this drastic measure, Catechini resistance gradually petered out and was ended by 1922, which scattered guerrilla resistance continuing as late as 1927.

Curgov Actions
The majority of the Mero-Curgov colonial troops (Auwalainarbataljun) were deployed abroad fighting in the Grand Campaigns, and as such most of the fighting was done by the SiWallqanqans, however there was still considerable Curgov involvement.

The Colonial Government raised several troops of militiamen organised into a units known as "kommando" who were tasked with garrisoning vulnerable towns, carrying out punitive attacks to respond for Catechini raids, and in rare moments of collaboration, to act as scouts and pathfinders for SiWallqanqan forces.

Outcome
By 1922, following the two and a half year campaign of internment, clearance and skirmishing, the Catechini Republic had all but disappeared, as its fighters and makeshift government were all captured, surrendered or killed, and its popular support had vanished as the conditions worsened.

During the conflict the SiWallqanqan Army had made maximal use of their implied freedoms to cross the border in the task of fighting the Catechini and were able to survey and prepare the region for their planned invasion of the Colony. Their actions in mapping, surveying, planning and information gathering proved useful no more than three years later.