news [GRS] Press Networks of Stedoria

[Stedoria]

17.07.2024
BREAKING: STEDORIAN FORCES ENTER VELAHERIA FOR DEFENSIVE MILITARY OPERATION

Breaking news out of both Stedoria and Velaheria this morning with confirmed reports that Stedorian Defence Forces personnel have crossed the border into the Velaherian provinces of Elbenau and Veldoria to engage in what has been described by the Stedorian Government as a defensive military operation. The military operation comes after months of political and economic turmoil within Velaheria following a coup d'état counducted by Orinese military personnel under the guise of military co-operation, along with a slow and disorganised deployment of peacekeeping forces throughout the country by the Assembled Nations. Whilst the Government has not yet made public the exact goals of the military operation, it is known that at the Defence Forces plan to temporarily occupy partially or wholly the Velaherian provinces of Elbenau and Veldoria in place of an AN-sponsored peacekeeping force.

Currently, it is unknown as to how long for this military operation had been planned by the Defence Forces. Days before the operation's commencement, the Stedorian Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement personally written by Chief Consul Tamäj Köseg, lambasting the AN not only for its disorganised and laggard deployment of peacekeeping forces to Velaheria, but also for the AN's failure to sufficiently condemn and punish the Orioni for its overthrow of the Velaherian government, along with criticising governments that lauded Orioni for its illegal overthrow. Additionally, Chief Consul Köseg further noted that "this is a double standard that shall not be forgotten by the Stedorian People's Republic and its citizens."

The Velaherian region of Veldoria is the westernmost of the country's provinces, bordering Stedoria, the Morthal Bay, and the provinces of Elbenau and Heisberg. The provincial capital, Vertia, is Velaheria's second largest city, containing 1.1 million citizens, and a pivotal industrial city in the country's north. The city also served as an experiment for budding market reforms during the previous Starinburg government, having been made into an exlusive economic zone in 2009. Additionally, the province's west is home to a Stedorian minority of around 500,000. The province of Elbenau on the other hand, is less populated and economically significant compared to Veldoria. Its capital of Grestin, however is considered to be culturally and historically rich, often being a popular place for cultural festivities. Like Veldoria, the province also contains a small Stedorian minority of approximately 60,000.

Given how recent the news of the military operation is political and military commentators are still unsure if the operation will result in any sustained military combat or possibly no fighting at all. However, it is believed by some observers that any Velaherian Army resistance would be quickly quelled owing to the currently disorganised state of their military. At the same time however, other observers argue that the Stedorian Government desires to avoid any armed combat, fearing that any hostilities against the AN peacekeeping force in Velaheria would be met with severe international repurcussions. Additionally, it is likely that the Stedorian Government also desires to engage in full-on hostilities so soon after the war against Dolchland following their failed invasion of Velaheria. 

Foreign reactions to the Stedorian military operation is expected to be strong, particularly from the nations involved in the AN peacekeeping operations in Velaheria. In the statement by Chief Consul Köseg in the days leading up to the operation, the Chief Consul emphasised that the mobilisation and deployment of Defence Forces will solely follow a defensive nature, and that aggression and belligerence is not the goal of Stedoria. However, should the international community act with indignation towards the defensive military operation in Velaheria, it will indeed become abundantly clear that Chief Consul Köseg's accusations of a double-standard by the AN will undoubtedly be accusations with strong merit.

 

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Edited August 4 by Stedoria
corrections (see edit history)

[Stedoria]

04.08.2024
STEDORIA RESOLUTELY REJECTS FOREIGN INTERFERENCE 

The Stedorian Government has decisively rejected glubal condemnations directed at the Defence Forces' defensive military operation in the Velaherian regions of Elbenau and Veldoria. At a political rally in Kapojvar celebrating the continued success of the defensive military operation, Second Consul Djjuràd-Françwa Delvau vehemently denounced the glubal condemnations as imperialist, hypocritical, and an act of foreign interference in the internal security matters of the Stedorian People's Republic that will be met with proportionate diplomatic penalties. Delvau further questioned the validity of the condemnations, speculating that governments may have been motivated by private, capitalist, and opportunist interests.

Quote

"Indeed, citizens, when we embarked on the path to defend the internal matters of the Stedorian People's Republic through our defensive military operation, we of course understood that this would not be without its international detractors and condemnation, condemnation that we dared to defend our nation, our people, the Stedorian and Dolch people of Elbenau and Veldoria from the hell of mass privatisations and economic shock therapy. Tell me, how is this "freeing" a nation, as many throughout the wurld have sadly deluded themselves into believing? This is the replacement of political tyranny with economic tyranny. Tell me, where is the freedom in taking away the entreprises and syndicates of the peoples of Elbenau and Veldoria and prostituting them to internal compradors and the conspiratorial international capital? To believe that this equals liberation is not only a sample falsehood, rather, it amounts to delusion itself!

And of course, to those who condemn us, as if we would even give such the dignity of even pondering if it warranted humiliation or shame, we shall do the opposite. We shall wear your condemnations as a badge of pride and honour to display to the entire wurld that we, the Sovereign, Independent, and Free People of Stedoria, when threatened, when targeted by the conspiracies of foreign capital that seeks to destroy the flower that is our People's Republic, will take resolute action to ensure that the dignity and liberty of the Stedorian people and the Stedorian nation prevails. We will not, nor shall we ever, take directives from glubal imperialist-opportunist capitalism! The battle never ends, just like our revolution; remember citizens, for one eye shall we knock out two, and for a tooth, shall we break the entire jaw!

Our defensive operation grows each day in its success and glory; our strategic goals have, for the time being, been achieved. We shall soon display the shameless glubal hypocrisy when we bring the societal resurrection and economic revolution to Elbenau and Veldoria. Whilst the plans are still in the making, what I can currently say is that referendums shall be held in both regions for the Elbenauer and Veldorian citizens themselves to choose their next steps, independent from Orinese imperialism and AN hypocrisy.

I remind all of our proud citizens who love our nation dearly: our government is a people's government, the government is the people and the people are the government. When the government requests your support, the people demand your support!"

--Second Consul Djjuràd-Françwa Delvau

Second Consul Delvau's fiery rhetoric undoubtedly indicates that the glubal condemnations and calls for Stedoria to end its defensive military operation have been met not only with extreme scepticism, but also diplomatic hostility by certain sectors of the government. With today's speech, political experts can safely presume that the Stedorian military operation in Elbenau and Veldoria will continue despite international pushback.

Both Stedorian Government and Defence Forces, since the operation's commencement on July 17th, have remained relatively tight-lipped regarding the details and final goals of the operation, along with only sharing vague information regarding the operation's progress. Homemade and unconfirmed videos, uploaded from cellphones, however, have shown Defence Forces' personnel in the cities of Grestin and Vertia, the capitals of the Elbenau and Veldoria regions respectively. The city of Vertia had also previously been reported to have had an Assembled Nations peacekeeping garrison according to Pentian media outlets; whether this means that the city has been divided into Stedorian and AN-controlled zones, or if the AN garrison has been temporarily detained by Defence Forces' personnel is unknown. However, Defence Forces' spokespeople have so far denied the presence of AN peacekeeping forces in the custody of the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces' presence in Vertia, however, indicates that Stedorian control of the region is likely upwards of 75%. Details on the more sparsely populated and mountainous Elbenau region, however, have remained silent.

Defence Forces' spokespeople, however, have confirmed the detaining of large amounts of Velaherian military personnel, although the Defence Forces were quick to note that prisoners were being held in accordance with international law in dignified standards, and that they would soon be released back to their home provinces following the completion of the military operation. There have also been several unconfirmed reports of skirmishes occurring between Velaherian and Stedorian military personnel, with homemade cellphone videos being filmed capturing the sounds of gunfire and explosions in the distance, although the Defence Forces have not confirmed nor denied if they had come into armed combat against Velaherian military personnel.

The mentions of a referendum by Second Consul Delvau have been the most significant developments regarding future Stedorian plans in the region; whilst it is unknown what exactly the content of the referendum will be, political analysts suspect that citizens of the Elbenau and Veldoria regions will be given the choice of rejoining Velaheria or establishing their own states, though some have also speculated that joining the Stedorian People's Republic may be included as a third option, though the Stedorian Government has ruled out annexation of any Velaherian territory.

Edited August 14 by Stedoria
spelling (see edit history)

[Stedoria]

02.11.2024
TERRORIST “FRSTM” ORGANISATION REBRANDS?

Following a failed attack upon a Defence Forces checkpoint earlier today in western Sëlvervald-Drejlär by the so-called “FRSTM” terrorist organisation, pamphlets and political literature were seized from killed and captured terrorists. Captured pamphlets reveal that “FRSTM” has begun of campaign of rebranding itself in a meagre attempt to rebrand its deeply unpopular image within Stedoria. “FRSTM”, the “Royal Stedorian Front of Monarchist Resistance”, was formed as a neo-reactionary force by former members of the monarchist Fatherland Front party, reactionary counterrevolutionary supporters, and members of the Kelvön family following the Stedorian Revolution in 2009. In the still ongoing conflict between these terrorists and Stedorian security forces, it is believed by the Stedorian Government that up to 10,000 people have been killed or injured. Stedorian Government estimates place the strenght of “FRSTM” at approximately 7,000 to 10,000 terrorists.

The found pamphlets declare the terrorist group's intention to rebrand into “FRSTN”, the so-called “Sovereign and Stedorian Front of National Resistance”, with the rebranding officially taking place on November 5th. The terrorist pamphlets have also emphasised that the terrorist group's rebranding is not only in nominclature, but also an ideological rebranding. Originally dedicated to re-establishing the Kelvön monarchy, the organisation, in its rebranding, has instead declared itself aligned to the principles of “democracy and opposition to Gemotamism”. The group has also nominally dropped its monarchist credentials, instead claiming it would hold a referendum on the return of the monarchy or the retention of a republic. However, the group is to still remain under the leadership of Lekhart Kelvön, son of the final king, Telvan XI, who was killed during the revolution under unclear circumstances by a vigilante mob whilst attempting to escape the country. The group has, over the past year, seen a signicant decline following the dissolution of its de facto political arm in Walneria, the Democratic Government in-exile of the Kingdom of Stedoria. 

Since the terrorist organisation's founding, “FRSTM” has relied heavily on criminality to continue its funding of its acts of terrorism. “FRSTM” is believed to have the dominant control of the drug trade within Stedoria, and it is believed that the group not only smuggles illegal substances into Stedoria, but also actively engages in the production of them within Stedoria for illegal export, primarily into Velaheria. The organisation also engages in the extortion of rural Stedorians by charging what is essentially a “protection fee”. The group's illegal activites and extortions have greatly contributed to the unpopularity of “FRSTM” in Stedoria.

The Stedorian Government has dismissed the organisation's rebranding. At a press conference earlier today in Kapojvar by Second Consul Delvau, Delvau resolutely rejected the group's rebranding, stating that “[t]he rebranding of the so-called ‘FRSTM’ terrorists shows to all of Stedoria that the group is nothing more than a decaying carcass, desperately and yet pointlessly clinging to political relevance.” and that “[t]his degenerate gang of capital-oriented reactionaryism is nothing but a machine of misery and suffering for the people of Stedoria, and Velaheria for its disgraceful actions in the trade of drugs.”

The Stedorian Government has also released a released a warning to citizens, urging citizens not to interact with any suspected members of “FRSTM” and to instead immediately report them to governmental authorities. The warning also additionally urges that any recovered pamphlets or political literature from “FRSTM” are to be immediately turned over to authorities for investigation. The warning finally reminds citizens that association with or membership in “FRSTM” or the newly-branded “FRSTN” is punishable by seizure of property, revocation of citizenship, or by death.