Slovjamastan has 500 registered citizens: man founds mini-nation in California desert

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He wears sunglasses, a uniform and calls himself Sultan – that is the life of American DJ Randy Williams. During his life he traveled to all countries recognized by the UN. “I ran out of countries, so I created my own,” Williams told CNN. In the Californian desert he founded Slovjamastan – and appointed himself its leader.

Williams regularly appears on television and radio as a DJ. “When I’m not on the radio, I’m probably traveling to a country that most people have never heard of,” he told CNN before his trip to Turkmenistan. That was the last country of the 193 UN countries he visited. But that wasn’t enough for him: he wanted to go to a 194th country.

In August 2021, he then traveled to the Republic of Molossia – a 11.3 hectare micronation in the US state of Nevada. The country declared its independence from the United States in 1998, which was of course not recognized. The currency in Molossia: chocolate dough. Williams was inspired by this trip and bought a desert estate for $19,000.

A dictatorship with votes

The mini nation on Route 78 is 11.07 hectares in size and the small piece of desert is a two and a half hour drive northwest of San Diego. “Welcome to Slovjamastan” reads a sign along the highway. A Slovakia flag was hoisted above the minister’s office. The name comes from the love for slow jam, i.e. soft and slow songs.

Wearing a suit and sunglasses, Williams officially declares independence from the US on December 1, 2021 at 12:26 PM. There are some bizarre rules in Slovjamastan. For example, wearing Crocs is prohibited. Payment is made in the local currency Duble, a national anthem is played and passports are issued.

“Most of the time we are a dictatorship,” Williams explains. But: “We occasionally hold special voting ceremonies and referenda. “I recently had citizens vote on what our national fruit, our national sport and the name of our national animal should be called,” the self-proclaimed sultan said. The citizens voted: the raccoon is the national animal of Slovmajastan. The concept is well received: many people want to participate in the experiment.

4,500 people want the pass

Slovjamastan already has 500 registered citizens. If you want a passport, you can apply for it online. Currently, 4,500 people are waiting for their citizenship. William’s goal: Slovakia should become the world’s leading micronation. He wants to give tourism a boost. And he has other goals, like a statue of the leader. He collects donations for this.

Slovjamastan does not appear on Wikipedia’s list of micronations. The William’s Republic apparently met the criteria of the 1933 Montevideo Convention. His great wish is that the US recognize the country’s secession. “I’m a little frustrated,” he says. Williams tried to reach US President Joe Biden (81) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media – but there was never a response. Williams: “Maybe the messages ended up in his spam folder.” (jwg)

Source: Blick