Estovakian Civil War Recurrence?

The Emmerian Chronicle is a newspaper from the Strangereal universe, based in Emmeria. Its only known issue was on February 5, 2014, which has been included and translated below.

Civil War Recurrence?
Around 9:00 PM on the 4th, in Vistoc, western Estovakia, a makeshift storage facility for relief supplies was attacked by an armed group from the former Lyes United Front. Eight Emmerian soldiers were killed in this attack. 27 civilians including NGO staff were also injured and killed. Food and medical supplies for over 50,000 people were stolen.

The attacked facility in Vistoc had stocked food supplies and aid materials for about 50,000 people, and is an important transit base for the western region of Estovakia. Thus, the facility and the area were heavily guarded by an Emmerian Reconstruction Assistance Force unit; all reinforcements were soon dispatched after news of the attack. Attacks on trucks transporting aid materials have sporadically happened around Vistoc before, but this case was the first attempt to launch a direct attack on a base camp for storing and distributing materials. This incident will inevitably have negative influence on future support activities.

In domestic Estovakia, the armed groups from the former Lyes United Front have been raging since the attack on Foreign Minister Isaac Arensky, and people are starting to feel apprehension about the repeats of military conflict among the former Factions.

Emmeria's Assistance Measures Plunged Estovakia Into Chaos
In response to the incident in Vistoc, Ambassador Belle (Bell) in charge of Reconstruction Assistance for Estovakia announced at the Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Estovakia that was held on the same day, that there would be no change of plans and the reconstruction assistance measures for Estovakia, which had been suspended since 2011, would be restarted as scheduled. This time, the priority of assistance will be placed on the rehabilitation of infrastructure and administrative expenses. This is a significant matter for assuring Emmeria's security. The details are to be coordinated from 8th of this month.

As for the additional assistance planned later on, Ambassador Belle eagerly said that "it is an international urgent task to help Estovakia recover from the damage inflicted during the Civil War. Our nation is also ready to provide any help considered necessary to rehabilitate the country destroyed by Ulysses fragments, for the sake of establishing permanent global peace." But, on the other hand, there is concern for the possibility that providing Estovakia with help might result in developing a military dictatorship and repeating the failure of the LUF - Lyes United Front.

Antonina Koznick, Estovakia's new Foreign Minister, former member of the Eastern Faction and Captain of the Navy, stated at the same conference that the Emmerian Government was partly responsible for the outbreak of the Estovakian Civil War by having provided unplanned assistance to the LUF. In response to this, Ambassador Belle answered that the assistance to the LUF was intended for early rehabilitation of Estovakia, not for the purpose of supporting the LUF's power agenda. He continued to comment that "Has he ever thought about their position of being assisted? I cannot help think that he is trying to take Estovakians' frustrations out on us Emmerians."

Criticism like this had not surfaced until then, but now that a Cabinet Member has officially mentioned Emmeria's responsibility, a shadow may be cast on the road for amicable coexistence of both nations.

Emmeria's Reconstruction Support Activities So Far
14 years have passed since the Emmerian Government started to take reconstruction assistance policies. The support activities that started in 2000 were, originally, to be proceeded step by step in cooperation with NGOs and other humanitarian organizations toward the stage where Estovakia could stand independent with its self-support efforts. However, once each region was ruled by armed groups called Factions, the influence of the central government faded, and these Factions became obstacles to the rehabilitation and support activities. Due to the delay in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the chronic shortage of aid materials, conflicts were fought by the Factions and plundering of resources occurred sporadically. It was decided that the support activities could not be done under these circumstances, and they were temporarily frozen. In 2004, toward the realization of the Republic of Anea Initiative of merging Emmeria, Estovakia, and Nordennavic into a single nation, the Preparatory Agency for the Republic of Anea was founded, but the project was also frozen in 2008, owing to Estovakia's domestic disorders.

In April of 2007, the LUF took over western Estovakia including the former capital to gain control of the region, and declared itself to be orthodox. Wanting to lift the suspension of the assistance and support activities, the Emmerian Government reviewed the original plans and harmonized with the LUF's rehabilitation project. However, the LUF took advantage of that assistance and supported its own activities to suppress opposing groups, especially the city of Gledina which refused the rule of the LUF. The LUF totally destroyed the city's lifelines and called a halt to the supply of aid materials, which resulted in the deaths of 200,000 civilians. Consequently, the Eastern Faction, followed by other groups, rose in arms against the LUF. This marked the beginning of the Civil War that lasted for 6 years. The Emmerian Government discontinued the assistance for the LUF in 2010, but this was regarded as an irresponsible assistance policy by the current Estovakian Government mainly comprised of the former Eastern Faction members, and gave birth to a cause of grudge in their hearts. In fact, many think that the new assistance and support activity plan announced on the 4th is indirect compensation for damage for Estovakia.

Numerous problems currently surround Estovakia. The delay in the rehabilitation of social infrastructure, the unemployment rate of over 40 percent, the existence of secessionist armed groups and so on. According to analysis done by Amherst Research Institute, a leading think tank in Emmeria, it is estimated that unless international assistance and support activities are carried out, it will take Estovakia more than 30 years to restore the level of economy to what it was in 1990s. For the early rehabilitation of Estovakia, a global scale assistance and support plan is necessary.

Former Foreign Minister Isaac Arensky Passed Away
Estovakian authorities announced that former Foreign Minister Isaac Arensky, who had been unconscious and in grave condition since the attack on him that happened in last November, died on December 2 of the last year.

He was in a car, on his way to Zaurek International Airport to visit Emmeria, when he was suddenly attacked by a heavily armed group. While trying to escape from the car, he was involved in the explosion of a grenade, and was seriously injured. Two of the criminals ran from the scene, and three were shot and killed on the spot by security. Back then, Mr. Arensky was allegedly on bad terms with Prime Minister Jacob Šuker and other Cabinet Members who were from the Eastern Faction, which led many to ponder who the criminals were or who was behind the incident. The Estovakian authorities asserted that the incident was caused by secessionist military officers of the former LUF. One week later, 15 people who took part in the incident including 2 who were on the run were arrested by the authorities.

Concerning the reason his death had been concealed for a long time, the authority's explanation was that they esteemed his will to keep his death secret until the successor and rehabilitation plans was decided.

Mr. Arensky is widely known not only in Estovakia, but also in Emmeria, as the former Lieutenant General of the Air Force of the Northern Highlands and also as a hero who contributed greatly to the establishment of the new government. He became the first Foreign Minister, and just after the end of the Civil War, he began making an appeal to other nations for rebuilding Estovakia. On the day he was attacked, he was going to fly to Gracemeria in order to attend the Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Estovakia hosted by Emmeria.

He was a best friend of Supreme Commander of the Estovakian Army, Dvornik, a former member of the Eastern Faction, and it is believed that the absorption of the Northern Highlands into the Eastern Faction could not be without their amity. Supreme Commander Dvornik made an irregular comment to the press on the day his best friend's death was publicized. "The days of revenge must end with his death. We will inherit his will, and restore the pride of Estovakia on our own."