Serbovia
Establishing Nation
The Freetown Messenger
English-language news coverage in the KSO since 1886.
As international pressure against the regime in Boliatur mounts amidst accusations of state-sponsored terrorism, Aldenberg has announced that the Eastern States would be joining an international arms embargo against the Toyouan state. Earlier this week, the Confederate government classified Boliatur as a state supporter of terrorism, warranting asset freezing and travel restrictions against individuals, companies and organizations connected to the regime. Other european governments including Belmont, Cantignia, Danmark, Engellex and Potenza have instituted similar measures.
Since Boliaturian support to terrorist and criminal organizations became public knowledge together with threats made by the regime against Engellexic, Potenzan and other governments, the small Toyouan country has been a target of pressure from several European governments. Declarations of war against the country were issued by the governments in Danmark and Engellex. Though no shots have yet been fired by either party, military analysts believe that the actions undertaken against Boliatur will soon manifest in military action. "By the very least we'd be talking about a blockade, possibly surgical strikes against regime figures as well", said General (ret.) Dieter Backmann who commanded the Confederate Army between 1994 and 2003, "But it's likely that it'll stay at that unless a large coalition assembles, with Engellex already committed in Montelimar and the inherent logistical difficulties in case of a purely Occidental venture."
In response to growing international tensions, the Defense Ministry today announced that the state of alert of the Confederate Army had been raised from level four to level three in the entire country (except for Cagaya, where regular forces have been on level two and State Guards on level three since 1996). A Defense Ministry spokesman said that the purpose of a heightened state of alert was to "anticipate the growth of regional tensions as well as to enforce measures implemented against the Boliaturian rogue state on Confederate territories." The Defense Ministry has confirmed that several Naval units assisted by Customs and Border patrol cutters have now set sail with the objective of interdicting Boliaturian-flagged shipping on Eastern States territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. The possibility of other forms of military action has not been overruled.
President Heinrich Steinhauser has postponed his month-long holiday at the Sunrise Island Presidential Retreat, which was scheduled to begin next week, in response to the Boliatur crisis and is expected to meet with Cabinet, National Defense Council and Intelligence and Security Committee officials in Freistadt to conduct discussions on the matter. The crisis is expected to have an effect on trading at the Schräderhafen Stock Exchange as it continues on Monday.