The West Wing

Mai Mais

Description

Gunmen erupt from Congo shadows, snatching reporter Billy Price at gunpoint and catapulting White House into ransom fury. C.J. thrusts shakedown charges at stonewalling Loboko in Leo's night-cloaked office, where widow's anguish bleeds into global brinkmanship; these militias grip hostages as leverage, fracturing diplomacy with abduction's cold calculus amid personal devastation.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

2 events
S3E13 · Night Five
C.J. Alerts Leo to Widow's Grief as Loboko Arrives for Ransom Confrontation

The Mai Mais are directly cited by Leo as the believed abductors of reporter Billy Price, their jungle gunpoint seizure catalyzing the White House's midnight confrontation with Loboko, underscoring rebel impunity that fractures U.S.-Congolese relations and demands ransom accountability.

Active Representation

Invoked through White House accusations and intelligence reports

Power Dynamics

Exerting asymmetric terror leverage via hostage-taking against diplomatic authority

Institutional Impact

Highlights failure of Congolese state control, pressuring U.S. for extraordinary measures

Organizational Goals
Secure financial ransom through abduction extortion Defy Congolese government and foreign interventions
Influence Mechanisms
Violent kidnappings creating global crises Exploiting regulatory voids in ministry controls
S3E13 · Night Five
C.J. Blasts Loboko on Ransom Shakedown as Leo Reinforces Demand

Explicitly named by Leo as the rebel group believed to have abducted American reporter Billy Price at gunpoint, igniting C.J.'s shakedown accusation and Loboko's defensive denials; their shadowy hostage-holding calculus drives the White House's desperate confrontation, amplifying global peril's intrusion into Oval power dynamics.

Active Representation

Invoked via Leo's direct accusation as the perpetrators

Power Dynamics

Accused of illicit dominance through abduction, challenging both U.S. demands and Congolese authority

Institutional Impact

Undermines diplomatic norms, forcing reactive U.S. brinkmanship amid rebel-fueled anarchy.

Organizational Goals
Extract ransom via prolonged hostage leverage Exploit Congo's chaos to evade accountability
Influence Mechanisms
Armed kidnappings enforcing compliance Jungle impunity fostering negotiation fears