PrintFighting in the South-Central Highlands of Atlantica
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Transcript
Fighting in the south-central highlands of Atlantica. Is the country on the brink of all-out civil war?
Yesterday the army of Atlantica launched a massive operation in the south-central highlands aimed at, as one army spokesperson put it, "Wiping out the armed bandits that have attacked police officers in government installations over the past month". Dubbed “Operation Archangel,” it appears to be an all-out effort by government forces to resolve the country’s internal disputes by the overwhelming use of military force. World news reporters can only watch the action from a distance, as Ministry of National Security officials have restricted the area of operations to military personnel. But local witnesses report columns of Atlantican tanks and armored personnel carriers winding their way up roads leading to rebel controlled villages and hamlets. They could see and hear government planes and artillery striking at targets in preparation for an assault.
Our world news reporter, Charlotte Smith-Jones, told us earlier today that the humanitarian toll has been shocking to even the most seasoned observers of recent conflicts. Thousands of villagers, mostly women and children, have been displaced by the fighting. A few lucky ones managed to climb onto ambulances and relief trucks, and to arrive at makeshift relief centers set up by a handful of aid agencies. Others made their way by foot over treacherous terrain and often under attack by government aircraft.
We have been unable to reach Charlotte Smith-Jones on our satellite phone for several hours now. She last reported that she was trying to make contact with rebel commanders through a reliable intermediary, a trusted member of the Anglican Church in Atlantica. We’ll bring you her report as soon as it is available.
(Sounds of trucks, and of women and babies crying.)
Meanwhile, spokespersons for the activist group, Rights Without Borders, described the humanitarian situation at the main relief centers as “appalling.” They are over-run by hundreds of displaced people arriving at the camps every hour. Like every other conflict, the overwhelming majority of the victims are women and children. They arrive in desperate condition; some dehydrated from the lack of food and water, some from drinking from contaminated sources. Many have been directly affected by the fighting. Men and women with terrible injuries from landmines or unexploded munitions are being brought by their families to aid stations. Most shocking are the small children, injured by blasts from the tiny bomblets they think are toys. Rights Without Borders has gone on record accusing the Atlantican military of using cluster bombs against their own people, noting that only the government has access to this kind of sophisticated weaponry. They have appealed to the United Nations Security Council and the European Union to intervene and put a stop to this conflict. Contrary opinions have been advanced by some military analysts.
Sir Samuel Hodges, Executive Director of the Royal Institute for Security Studies in London, held a press conference yesterday on the situation in Atlantica. At the conference, Sir Samuel held that the emergency is the result of centuries of mistrust between lowlanders in the north and the people in the south-central highlands. Sir Samuel went on to say that the emergency is a direct result of the recent boom in the resource sector that’s had a profound impact on village life in the highlands. Incomes in the villages and hamlets improved, and understandably, highlanders began demanding a greater voice in the political affairs of the country. But in a more controversial part of his conference, Sir Samuel, who before his retirement from the British Army, was responsible for training members of the Atlantican armed forces, dismissed claims that the conflict is about suppressing south Atlantican desire for a greater share of the wealth being extracted from their lands. He said that this accusation is, at best, a very popular conspiracy theory floated by some highland radicals.
Turning now to the situation on the ground, as the Atlantican government has clearly opted for a military solution, does Operation Archangel stand a reasonable chance of success? Most analysts we talked to note that counter-insurgency operations are always difficult and costly, but is the army using heavy-handed tactics and applying a disproportionate use of force? We’ve just heard from Rights Without Borders that ground attack aircraft have been dropping cluster bombs on insurgent positions. We put the question to an Atlantican Army spokesperson, who refused our interview but did issue this statement:
As unfortunate as it may be, we here in Atlantica have to remember that the government has every right to maintain peace and security in the country. When a small group threatens that security, secures illegal weapons, and explodes IEDs and other terrorist devices under police cars, killing and maiming peace officers, the government must respond. Though we hope that this emergency can be ended quickly, at the end of the day, the government must meet its constitutional obligations and use every means at its disposal to restore law and order for the benefit of all Atlantican citizens.
That’s all we have time for in this segment. We’ll keep you posted on the latest developments in Atlantica here on World News.