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.

New Recruits Arrive - 15mm QRF Russians

Thanks to a wonderful net buddy, I am now 64 15mm Russians richer. This gent, kind enough to send me these troops for the price of shipping, has given me a big push into getting the 15mm version of Alcovia going.

While I wait for Eureka and, hopefully, Pole Bitwy get their 15mm modern Russians and Chechens out, I'm planning on painting these cold War era Russians as the sorts of second line troops that make up the bulk of the rebel army in the Alcovian civil war. A few simple conversions should also close the generational gap, but as Alcovia is certainly not Russia, it is easy to imagine they still have some older gear around. Heck, even Russia doesn't have its whole army modernized.

As reward for his kind donation to the cause, I shall be converting a command figure into the donater's likeness as the rebel commander Jonaz Keprozchi (a play on the fellow's real name).

So, thank you to the kind soul who sent the new recruits!

-Eli

Police Raids Continue in Western Alcovia

June 22, 2012

In a continuation of the increased police activities in western Alcovian cities that followed the May 23 attack on a very public benefit concert, Internal Security forces have made an astounding 32 additional arrests of individuals either confirmed as or suspected of being members of various militia, terrorist and even activism groups.

Though not all are believed to be directly involved in the attack, Alcovian national authorities are not taking any chances and a general sweep has been ordered to either remove or confine any known or suspected threats against internal stability in the still mostly-peaceful west of the nation. It is feared, should such elements be allowed to operate unchecked even under surveillance, that such elements could bring open fighting.

The large scale police action has not been without its detractors both locally and abroad as some see such board use of police powers as an affront to personal and civil liberties. The Alcovian government has answered these concerns by making it very clear that Alcovia is still a benevolent nation with the safety of its people and preservation of peace as its primary motivations. Civil rights organizations around the world have protested and insisted that Alcovia maintain due process and fair standards when dealing with its own civilian population.

What is being protested most are those individuals that are taken without any direct connection to known terrorist or militia activities and/or without any past record of such activities. Amnisty International has began to work with UN member states to pressure them to intervene on behalf of the Alcovian people, however with King Ullo's absolute ban on direct foreign involvement on Alcovian soil, there is little that can be done by government forces of any nation that would not constitute an immediate violation of Alcovia's sovereignty.

Minister for the Interior, Rudolf Rudnost, stated in a press conference - 

The Kingdom of Alcovia is not a den of tyrants. It has never been our desire to see our people subjected to the horrors of war, terror and injustice. What we are seeing these days is a blight upon the history of what has been a peaceful nation. However, we cannot allow the cancer of fear and rebellion to grow and prosper. 

What you have been witnessing over the last month are necessary action to preserve the peace and sanctity of our nation. We ask only that we be allowed to conduct Alcovian internal matters in the Alcovian way and assure all onlookers in the world, that justice will be achieved without undo bloodshed and pain. Those who have been taken into custody are individuals who either have had a hand in recent actions taken against the nation and its people or those who we believe might be of assistance and help in finding more who might harm the people of this great kingdom.

To those who would cast us in the same mold as the villains of the past, we ask that you maintain an open mind and trust that we, a nation of peace and a kingdom ordained by divinity itself, shall prove ourselves to you all. To those who would not give us this consideration, we ask that you at least leave us to our own matters and not make Alcovia's troubles an excuse for your usual saber rattling and pretense. Alcovia will not be used an excuse for aggression and opportunity.

The minster's words, assumed to have been handed to him by the office of the king himself, maintain the Alcovian stance on the conflict since its beginning, demonstrating the conviction that Alcovia's internal matters should remain its own. the last bit of the short address has been met with some criticism for being, perhaps, a bit too confrontational. Experts say that such direct challenge to the policies and activities of other nations may have a reversed effect on foreign governments who are watching the Alcovian civil war. The statement also follows a trend in previous addresses and statements wherein Alcovia has overlooked and sidestepped its own imperialist invasion of Theogonia, now, the west-most province of the Alcovian kingdom.

Benefit Concert Ends in Violence

May 23, 2012

Last night's sudden a violent outbreak at the benefit concert being held by Alcovian pop star, Ilana Nosti has been blamed on a radical militia group. The group, calling itself the Brotherhood for a New Alcovia opened fire on the gathered crowd of civilians and off duty soldiers, killing 15 and wounding dozens more.

The group appears to have entered the arena in the guise of members of Alcovian internal security and RAA. As the capital was maintaining an alert status, soldiers and police forces were carrying weapons to the event. Security officials say that the militia members entered using forged documents and false identifications and that by the time they had opened fire it was too late to do anything but return fire and try to counter the attack. In the end, all the terrorists were killed in the ensuing firefight but not before they had inflicted heavy casualties on the unsuspecting crowd. 

Fortunately, none of the visiting officials or the performers were harmed during the firefight.

In a later interview, Miss Nosti had this to say...

This is a horrible and grotesque thing to have happen on this night of hope and help. To turn what was meant as a gesture of aid and peace into a bloody slaughter cannot be forgiven. I hope that all freedom loving Alcovians will see this for what it is and choose to do what is right in opposing this sort of evil

Miss Nosti later visited local hospitals offering her help to those caring for the wounded and consoling those who had lost loved ones in the attack.