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Date: October 28-29, 2006Ardestad
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Ardestad's history is checkered. It has been contested ground since before it was a country. Political and ethnic tensions have sparked violent conflicts since the beginning of historic records from the region. Even under the iron rule of the Soviet Union there was limited warfare. Bloodshed is nothing new in Ardestad. However, since the republic's breakaway from the Soviet Union, the violence has escalated greatly. First the military overthrew the former communist government in a violent coup. The military then practiced wholesale slaughter of all those that opposed it. The brutality of these actions exceeded that seen under Stalin. More recently, the Ezelhoeden Resistance (EHR) has taken up armed resistance against the corrupt military ruling party. No angels themselves, the EHR has been accused of murdering captured government officials and thier families. |
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In this conflict there is no quarter given; both sides summarily execute surrendering soldiers. It is considered lucky to die in combat rather than be captured because both sides have made torture a high art.
The Ardestad military has only been marginally successful against the EHR, many of whom are former soldiers themselves. The Ardestad Government Army is using old Soviet era equipment and weapons as it has not had the economy to produce or purchase anything new. Many of the soldiers purchase better equipment for themselves through the black market.
The EHR troops have secured over a third of the country, including the capitol city of Zomnaygrad, the main seaport for Ardestad. They are armed with whatever they have scrounged from abandoned Army arsenals or purchased through the black market.
Both sides have accused the other of war crimes. As is typical in this region, hatred runs deep between groups and things get out of hand often.
A cease-fire signed a year ago called for both sides to place their heavy weapons and equipment into depots and allow the inspection of these depots by representatives of the other side. The U.N. has sent observers to Ardestad to assist in these inspections. Claims of deciept flow heavily from both sides.
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