Diga Makonnen

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Diga Makonnen was the founder and long-time leader of Attera, also known as The Rasinate of Q'attera Macusia'a

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Early Days

Diga claims to be the descendant of Ethiopian nobility. As a very young child in Belgium (?) in the late 70s, Diga, along with his friends, helped start a primitive micronation called the Ogaden, which Diga later took over and renamed to Attera. Attera did not last long, but twenty years later, he maried Rasana Marie, a political science student. The two thought it would be interesting to resurrect Diga's old micronation. The new incarnation, called the Rasinate of Q'attera Macusia'a, was founded by Diga and his army buddies on a US base in Germany. It was technically led by Diga and Marie's 5 year old daughter, Jihan; in fact, Diga, as the regent, held the lion's share of the power.

Micronational Career

Diga quickly gained a reputation as belligerent and tough-talking; this made him many enemies but also many friends. He quickly crushed a coup attempt against him in Q'attera, resigned due to questions about the legality of his actions, and then was back in power a few days later. He became a leading voice in the League of Secessionist States and eventually attained its highest position, Secretary-General, but later grew disillusioned with the organization and used his considerable resources as Ras of Q'attera to work for change. His best-remembered step in this direction was the Bold New Era Plan, which proposed a system of older micronations helping newer ones get adjusted to the hobby; this raised a lot of controversy and was never fully adopted, though parts of it later became the de facto standard.

Diga's later years were mostly consumed by his blood feud with Babkha. His relationship with Shah Babak and Ardashir Khan quickly moved beyond political differences into intense hatred. He was influential both in creating Tymaria (according to legend, its name derived from a nickname of his) and in rending it apart by insisting on a strongly anti-Babkhan foreign policy that some other Tymarians were unable to stomach. When it became clear that his policies did not have the support of much of the country, he seceded from Tymaria, renaming Q'attera to Attera in the process.

In the new Attera, he gradually seized more and more power, going from Ras to Imperial Ras to Emperor and taking the royal name Mi'kel Tzion I. These moves were popular at first because of the respect all Atterans held for him. However, in 2006 (or so) he became embroiled in a conflict with most of his citizens over the proper role of the Atteran Commonwealth, Attera's network of satellite states. When it became clear that his view was unpopular, Diga tried declaring martial law to prevent the populace from overruling him. This provoked most of Attera's leading citizens, such as Liam Sinclair and Behmanesh Farzan to leave in disgust. Although Diga later backpedaled and relinquished control of the government, he seized power again in a coup that drove most of Attera's remaining citizens away. Attera is now considered officially dead, and Diga has not been seen in micronationalism since its collapse.

Effects on Shireroth

Diga is remembered respectfully in Shireroth as a worthy adversary. Most Shirerithians fought against him during the internal struggles that racked Tymaria and retained a healthy fear of him and his minions, but during the anti-Babkhan periods of Shireroth's history, such as the reigns of Kaiser Mog I and Kaiser Letifer I, he was a powerful and useful ally.

During the Union of Apollo States, Diga and several other Atterans colonized southwest Kildare in the area now called Lesser Attera. The colony was a failure, but the name remained and passed into Shirerithian hands with the annexation of UAS, making Shireroth, ironically, the only country that retains territory with the Atteran name. Attera also featured, in a somewhat roundabout way, in the naming of the Barony of Atterrock. Ari Rahikkala remarked, about the Barony, that "it makes me think of Diga & co. on stage playing a heavy metal version of the Ride of the Valkyries..."