The Urdu people could escape, but the boat could not escape, so it had to stop where it was and was seized by the Marine Police patrol boat.

There are still dozens of boxes of Lebel rifles on board that have not been unloaded, and these Lebel rifles have become evidence of French collusion with the Mbandaka rebels.

"We seized a smuggling boat in the Congo River with hundreds of French-made Lebel rifles on board—" Roque reported to Philip as soon as he got the news.

"French? Are you sure? Philip's expression was calm, and it was not uncommon for Britain and France to tear each other down.

"Pretty sure." Roque is very unhappy, the French still haven't learned enough lessons, dare to dig into the corners of southern Africa, really not worried about southern African retaliation?

"Bloom, send a telegram to Paris, we need an explanation from the French government." Philip's first instinct was to resolve it diplomatically.

Southern Africa now has diplomatic autonomy and does not need to go through London to deal directly with the French government.

"All right, Lord—" Philip's secretary, Bloom, did not forget to smile at Roque as he left.

Of course, Roque also watched Bloom leave with a smile on his face, and the secretary next to the prime minister must have a good relationship, these people may not succeed enough, and there will definitely be more than failure.

"We're going to teach the French a lesson, that they can't meddle in our southern African affairs casually—" Roque has now treated the Kingdom of Kongo as a territory of southern Africa, and it was only a matter of time before it was done anyway.

"No, no, Locke, we can't escalate the situation." Philip was still very calm, although there were contradictions between southern Africa and France, but it was not to the point of breaking out into war.

After the end of the world war, as the threat from Germany decreased, the contradictions between Britain and France became acute again, and it was clear to everyone that there were widespread contradictions between Britain and France in the handling of Germany, the Mediterranean, East Asia, etc.

"No, I'll make the French bitter unspeakable." Roque is ruthless, although it is time to retrigate grievances, but Roque is not a character who does not remember the mistakes of adults.

The next day, the Kingdom of the Congo issued a strongly-worded letter from the French government, in which the Kingdom of the Congo, while questioning the despicable acts of the French colonies, threatened the French government with reciprocal retaliation against the French colonies if it did not stop supporting the Mbandaka rebels.

At the same time that the Kingdom of the Congo sent an official letter, about two divisions of the Southern African Coalition Army were assembling in Matilda and Cabinda, less than 100 kilometers from the Kingdom of the Congo and French Equatorial Africa.

French Equatorial Africa is located in the northern part of the Kingdom of the Congo, bordering the territory of the Kingdom of the Congo, with the capital Brazzaville and the capital of the Kingdom of the Congo across the river from Matilda, the capital of the Kingdom of the Congo.

"Threats? Ha, it's funny, any country would dare to threaten France, and we must teach the Congolese a lesson. Buckley Henry, commander-in-chief of French Equatorial Africa, laughed and laughed at the Congolese's inadequacy.

Robert Niveller, Governor General of French Equatorial Africa, sat behind his desk with a gloomy face.

That's right, this Nivelle is the same Nivelle who served as commander-in-chief of the French army during the World War.

After Robert Niveller was relieved of his post as commander-in-chief of the French army, he was sent directly to North Africa, far from the French mainland.

After all, Nivelle was the man who had served as the commander-in-chief of the French army, and after two years of hibernation, Nivelle returned to the mountains as governor of French Equatorial Africa.

Barkley Henry did not participate in the World War, did not know much about the performance of the Southern African Expeditionary Force, and did not deal with Roque, so he did not know Roque's character.

This is not surprising, although the Southern African Expeditionary Force performed well in the world war, but the French propaganda of the world war, the French army was the main force of the Entente forces, and the British troops were in a supporting position.

Those who knew the facts were certainly silent about the propaganda of the French government, and colonial soldiers like Barkley Henry were convinced.

In particular, the Southern African Expeditionary Force was mostly composed of soldiers of African descent, and Barkley Henry, a colony soldier, knew the combat effectiveness of the African American troops all too well.

So a unit of soldiers of African descent performed better during the world war than a unit made up of white French soldiers?

Let's be funny!

"What's going on with that ship?" Unlike Barkley Henry, who was arrogant in Yoro, Robert Niveller was well aware of the strength of the Southern African Army and had a better understanding of Roque's character.

Inside, Robert Nivelle really didn't want to be an enemy of Roque, and Robert Nivelle really didn't know about the deal between the French and the Mbandaka rebels.

With Roque's retributive character, once the French have some support for the Mbandaka rebels, then Roque will definitely take revenge.

However, what makes Robert Nivelle powerless is that not all French people put French interests first, and some people who are short-sighted will be blinded by immediate interests and do not care about the loss of French interests.

"I don't know, it may be a businessman, or a certain enterprise, it's just normal business behavior, and it has nothing to do with us at all." Barkley Henry was grinning and embarrassed with a perfunctory attitude.

"Do you think the Federal Government of Southern Africa will accept such an explanation?" Robert Niveller frowned, not to mention the Federal Government of Southern Africa, Niveller was not satisfied with such an explanation.

Don't forget the smuggling boats captured by the Marine Police, which were loaded with standard rifles used by French troops.

If Nivelle does not admit that this matter has anything to do with the colonial government of French Equatorial Africa, then Nivelle will have to admit that the management of ordnance in French Equatorial Africa is extremely chaotic.

But admit?

How is it possible -

"They had better accept it, or we will step up our support for the Mbandaka rebels and create more problems for southern Africans." Buckley Henry is also a master of the art to control the country, and it is through various supports for various rebels in southern Africa that the Portuguese and Belgians were expelled from the power of the Portuguese and Belgians, and the current Southern African Union was established.

It's all colonies again, look at southern Africa, look at French equatorial Africa -

Didn't see it.

"Keep your eyes peeled when choosing allies, are you sure those rebels can cause enough trouble for southern Africa?" Nivelle has one head and two big, and when you think about Germany during the World War, you know the importance of this.

It's not a lady to meet someone!

"Why not? Mbandaka is surrounded by a dense network of water, primeval forests everywhere, and the terrain is complex and varied, and it is entirely possible that Wane will hold on. 'Barkley Henry still has faith in Vane.

Or rather, Buckley Henry has confidence in the terrain around Mbandaka.

"Don't think too well, if the southern Africans attack through the river, Wane is completely unable to stop it, not to mention that there is also an air force in southern Africa, we can think of these, and the southern Africans can also think of it." Nivel was not optimistic, even the Germans were crushed in the face of the offensive of the Southern African Expeditionary Force, and the Mbandaka rebels?

It was just a rabble, and I was afraid that the seemingly mighty rebels would disperse as soon as the southern African army arrived, and Nivile knew too well about the all-African army.

The Southern African Expeditionary Force performed well because the officers and technical sergeants were either white or Chinese, so that the soldiers of African descent could burst out with extraordinary combat effectiveness.

The Mbandaka rebels, on the other hand, are an all-African force that lacks not only weapons, but also adequate training, logistics, and depth, and the Southern African coalition only needs to seal the border to trap the rebels alive.

Just like the British Expeditionary Force did against the Boers.

"Southern African warships can't enter the Congo River, those motorboats, I'm afraid a heavy machine gun can block the river, Your Excellency the Governor, you are too cautious." Barkley Henry was adamant that he did not know how well the Southern African Expeditionary Force had performed during the World War, but he knew how bad Nivelle had been when he was Commander-in-Chief of the French Army.

In summary, when Nivelle was the commander-in-chief of the French army, the only way to fight was to attack and attack, and finally fought until the French army was exhausted and refused to carry out the mission, and Nivelle was dismissed.

Note that it is a dismissal, not a resignation.

Even in that situation, Nivelle still didn't want to take responsibility.

Such a performance is well deserved!

"Throw away your inexplicable pride, investigate this matter thoroughly, find out who is trading with the rebels again, and strictly prohibit this from happening again, remember, I said strictly forbidden!" Niveler doesn't talk nonsense, people like Barkley Henry won't wake up if they don't run into their heads and bleed in front of the facts.

Nivile could not watch Barkley Henry lead French equatorial Africa into the abyss.

France has already lost Madagascar and cannot afford to lose even more.

At a time when the leadership of French Equatorial Africa was deeply divided, on September 12, a marine police boat of the Kingdom of the Congo arrested a French Equatorial African fishing boat on the African side of the Congo River near the French Equatorial River, on the grounds that the fishing boat had crossed the median line of the Congo River while operating to the detriment of the interests of the Kingdom of the Congo.

If the federal government of Southern Africa had done this, French Equatorial Africa would have been more cautious.

In the case of the Kingdom of Congo, French Equatorial Africa has shown a tough attitude.

On the 13th, the French Equatorial African Marine Police Boat also arrested a Congolese fishing boat, and this time the French Equatorial African Marine Police Boat also crossed the middle line of the Congo River, towing the fishing boat almost on the south bank of the Congo River, and hundreds of people witnessed the scene at the time.

Three days later, a Southern African Marine Police boat appeared in the Congo River.

Unlike the French Equatorial African Marine Police, which is only equipped with motorboats, the marine police ships in southern Africa are pure destroyers at all.

When the destroyer, with its insignia painted on it, appeared on the river between Leopoldville and Brazzaville, everyone felt that the situation was not good.

The war is on the verge of breaking out.