Alcovia Receives Bongolesian Dignataries

Karina Lotsacrop, representative of the University of Alcovia, Department of Human Studies speaks with the head of the Bongolesian security detail, JaJa Binku.

Today, at a discrete air field in western Alcovia, a military transport plane was received by a small group of civilian and government authorities. After a brief discussion between cultural attaches and the Bongolesian security detail, the diplomatic team was lead to a water motorcade where they were sped off to an undisclosed location, presumably to meet with King Ullo Chubakov, who had recently returned to seclusion after numerous threats were made on his person.

Early details indicate that Ambassador W'astsit T'uyoo an his staff are settling in nicely to their diplomatic quarters and are being treated to the highest level of Alcovian hospitality. This evening's welcome dinner is reported to include a meal of Alcovian wild boar and eels.

Alcovia to Host African Diplomats

Head of the Bongolesian delegation, W'atsit T'uyoo

Surprising developments in Alcovia.

After years of resistance to foreign intercession in the ongoing civil war, the Alcovian office of Internal Affairs has accepted an offer from the African nation of Bongolesia and will receive a diplomatic envoy with the intentions of allowing them to sit in on talks between National and rebel leaders. 

Bongolesia, often criticized as the playground of a tyrant and a center for corruption and bush politics, seems an unlikely candidate for peace mediation. However, considering the Alcovian King's mistrust of European politics and desire to keep both Russia and the united States out of his country's affairs, a small, independent nation seated an ocean away may not be as odd a choice as it might seem. 

The office of Internal Affairs released this quite from the initial communication sent by Bongolesia, 

"Bongolesian Foreign Affairs Experat and Tip-Top Diplomat, W'atsit T'uyoo and his staff are ready to make haste to Alcovia, to show our friends that we can help and when we help, EVERYBODY can get some...We come in peace and look forward to doing our bestest on the world stage of international feel goods..."

Very positive and energetic words from the characteristically bombastic nation.

Internal Cold War - The Silent Crisis in Alcovia

3/4/2014

 

 

While scenes such as this have become more common since the cease fire was declared a little over two years ago, one must remind oneself that Alcovia is STILL a nation at war.

Peaceful as it may seem, the conflict that ravaged this once quiet Balkan nation still simmers under a last enmity that is maintained across no firmly entrenched lines of demarcation. Neither The Crown or the self-appointed Alcovian People's Army (APA) have made any declaration of a further peace and as time passes, each side of this conflict seems to get ever more committed to their respective mission.

 

 

While cleanup and reconstruction continue throughout the nation, pockets of armed forces both officially sanctioned and militia alike maintain positions, take possession of supplies and material. Shots still ring out in the night as armed gunmen patrol neighborhoods and patrols of soldiers weed out their rivals' insurgent forces. Add to this the continued and growing unrest among the ethnic Iqeni population in the East who are under ever increasing scrutiny coupled with bigotry and abuse by Alcovian nationals who, now unfettered from royal decree have little to keep them from acting on their agendas of sovereignty and racial purity.

 

 

This has signaled a call to arms for Iqenis who have no choice but to defend themselves. This in turn has drawn the attention of the government of Iqenistan, east across the Borka river and UN officials. Continued reports of crimes targeting ethnic Iqeni citizens in Alcovia continue to make their way across the Borka and into the hand of the UN who, to this date, have still been granted only the most basic access to Alcovian soil. One claim of mass graves found in the northeastern marshes was discounted as the bog mummified remains of earlier conflicts between Alcovia nd its Iqeni neighbors. While the report was accepted, based on photographic evidence, by UN inspectors, Iqenis still remain skeptical, fearing collusion or fraud.

 

 

 

A recent interview with Alcovia's Minsiter of Internal Affairs revealed that the king has grown concerned over recent events in the Ukraine. Russians interference in the sovereignty of that nation only serves to reinforce the king's fears that outside involvement in Alcovian affairs would be detrimental to the kingdom's continued independence. Russia had already voiced concerns over Alcovian instability in the first years of the civil war, even being complicit in backing an attempted breakaway by Alcovia's northern most region, Slavikova. While that break away was quelled and no direct Russian involvement was proven, Russian did maintain its position of maintaining stability in the region. Most recently, this concern for stability was expressed by an increase in credit for military exports to Alcovia from Russian arms industries.

 

 

 

For now, the world's eyes are off of Alcovia as the crisis in the Ukraine grows ever more intense. Hope holds that after two years of relative peace, the Wolf of the Balkans will, once more, slumber...





UN Finds No Sign of War Crimes - Ethnic Iqenis Protest

Rioting in eastern Alcovian cities today, where ethnic Iqeni citizens and rebel supporters protested the announcement of the UN findings.

According to UN inspectors, there is nothing to suggest any illegal activity on the part of the Alcovian government forces against either military personnel or civilians. In particular, they stated clearly, that there was definitely nothing to even suggest any sort of targeted attacks on any particular ethnicity and that all evidence produced could not be tied to actions on the part of the monarchy or its military forces. 

Spokespersons for the Iqeni population of Alcovia disputed these findings in public address over local radio broadcasts as well as in public forums. These addresses are being held responsible for today's violence that exploded in several cities and towns across eastern Alcovia as well as towns and settlements further toward the center of the nation. Iqeni national news has reported the riots as a cry of pain and horror at the plight of its natives living abroad.

In several clashes with both military and civilian authorities, ethnic Iqenis took to the streets carrying signs and shouting slogans such as the popular, "Iqeni Murder, Alcovian Lies!" In many situations APA rebel forces were forced to defend themselves from the very people they had been fighting for as hotter heads prevailed and lines were drawn along ethnic lines rather than political agendas.

Casualties have been reported and both military and civilians are reporting deaths and countless injuries attributed to the violence. Property damage is also being declared as substantial with many fires tearing through overcrowded eastern Alcovian border settlements. 

World Peace Organizations Declare Bad Form

3/29/2013 

World peace watch dogs criticized the Alcovian monarchy today over the delivery of new weapons and munitions during the ongoing cease fire which has now last much longer than had originally been expected. While the government asserts that the weapons delivery, which has been identified as a number of new Russian built T-90 main battle tanks, was already ordered well before the outbreak of hostilities between the national and rebel forces.

"The procurement of new weapons and munitions for the defense of our nation has always been an ongoing concern of the monarchy. The equipment that was delivered was part of this ongoing process and the date of delivery was something arranged at a time when there was no war." - Vice Minister of Defense of Pavel Oshetski.

Sources from eastern Alcovia say that these tanks had originally been set for delivery much earlier and were to have been deployed in eastern Alcovia along the Alcovia/Iqenistan border. Had this original delivery date been kept, the new advanced tanks would likely now be operating in rebel formations. Instead, the delayed delivery will place the tanks in the still loyal, national units. Whether or not the delayed delivery was intentional and employed as a precaution against early rumblings of rebellion has not been verified. It is also worth noting, that poor supply and aging equipment was one of the main reasons cited by the APA rebels for their defection.

King Ullo Allows U.N. Inspectors

During the long cease fire in the still ongoing Alcovian Civil War there have been increasing pressures from outside governments to allow foreign observers into the country. 

The stated goal has always been to allow the international community the opportunity to guarantee there are no human rights violations and that both sides of the conflict are conducting themselves within the boundaries of  legal warfare practices under international law and treaty. This, however, has never seemed enough for the Alcovian government which has claimed the sanctity of sovereignty at every turn.

The change in position of the government seems to have been a direct result of increased claims, by the rebel leadership, of criminal activities committed by national forces in rebel controlled territories. Alcovian leadership decided to challenge these claims the best way they could and petition the U.N. for an inspection of these regions in Eastern Alcovia. U.N. officials agreed and have sent several teams of inspectors of a non-military nature and without U.N. -provided escorts. 

During their inspection tour, U.N. representatives have taken numerous opportunities to speak with local commanders, government representatives and civilian authorities in an attempt to raise a "presence of peace" among those involved in and affected by the Alcovian Civil War. While these off the record discussions have been looked upon with suspicion, no direct action has been taken to prevent them. One U.N. team member was quoted as saying, "It would seem that Alcovians are interested in peace, even if they are not ready to lay down their weapons."

While most of the inspection has been routine with little to report in the way of the proposed violations, a team visiting the city of Ubecha - along the Borka river - was treated to the grizzly display of a collection of severed limbs (shown here wrapped up after collection). Local ethnic Iqenis claim that these are the grim results of a recent terror raid conducted by Royal Special Forces that specifically targeted civilians of that particular ethnicity. They cited several such raids conducted during hostilities in the 1970s as support for these claims, however there remains no concrete evidence to support these accusations. 

The U.N. plans to continue inspections for the remainder of the year, having been given an exit date of January 1, 2013.

Flags!

A friend recently did up some flags for modern Alcovia. While I'm trying to tweak the designs a bit, these are really good so far and I think capture the feel of the nation quite well...

The first set above was amended with a few more Eastern European bits of flavor to the flags below. I personally like the revised flags. the artist really did a nice job and even included distressed versions.