Presidency of Ubor Lauren

Ubor Lauren is the first elected president of the Federal Republic of Savoria since the end of the Savorian Civil War and the constitutional monarchy in March 1049. He was inaugurated on the 1st of December 1049 and his current term will end on the 30th of November 1054.

His inauguration speech was:

"This is the first time I´m speaking to you as the Savorian President. I know that being the first properly elected Savorian President since the Savorian Civil War that ended in March this year comes with a great responsibility. And Savoria has been reorganized and turned it´s back on the monarchy once and for all. And now it´s time to finish the process of reforming Savoria. Now I can finally act and do what I have promised. You will all be rewarded for your great support and I would like to thank you all for giving me this great opportunity. This nation is reunited and I will make sure it stays this way. I will be the president for everyone not just for those that supported me the most. Many issues are waiting for me and I´m excited to get working soon. This month the elections for the Federal Parliament will follow the Presidential elections. I´m excited to see what Parliament I can work with in the next years. I´m confident that all of them are willing to move forward and to help achieve great things for this nation. Today I will sign the first new laws and decrees to get things moving as soon as possible. A Government will be formed within the next days and it will be a strong Government that is able to lead this country and is not afraid of taking action. I already have many ideas and solutions that have been worked out and I can´t wait to see them put into action. We can now stand united and move forward facing all the trouble and the issues ahead of us. We can lay a foundation for a bright future in the upcoming years!"

Most important initial issues and first actions
When Ubor Lauren began his 5 year term as president the most urgent foreign issues where The Occupation of Hombur, The Testing of Savoria´s new weapon, The T-2 being developed in Kazarov and the attack on a Savorian Embassy in Shiza. Regarding internal affairs the most severe issues were the economy which was recovering from the civil war and in some states a still devastated infrastructure.

The Occupation of Hombur
On the first day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree to work on a solution for the situation in Hombur. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) A Savorian expeditionary force will be stationed in Eastern Hombur for the duration of 1 year. This time period can be extended. The president is with this decree allowing the SSDF High Command to station up to 14 000 Soldiers in Eastern Hombur.
 * 2) The objective of the Savorian expeditionary force is in cooperation with diplomats and other civilian experts to restore law and order across Eastern Hombur and to lay the foundation for a new Government to be formed.
 * 3) Savoria will step by step involve the International Congress of Nations in the process of rebuilding Hombur.
 * 4) Western Hombur is considered to be administrated by the Zoran Union and will not be affected by this decree.

Ubor Lauren has also sheduled a meeting with the Zoranian Head of State Anton Relvski in order to discuss the future of Hombur and the relations between Savoria and the Zoran Union.

The Testing of Savoria´s new weapon
On the first day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree to solve the current difficult situation regarding the test of Savoria new weapon. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) The test has to be conducted in an area that is directly controlled by the Federal Republic of Savoria.
 * 2) No civilian life or infrastructure is allowed to be endangered by and during the test.
 * 3) The area for the test site should be unoccupied and free of inhabitants that would have to be evacuated first.
 * 4) The test is scheduled for the 18th of December 1049. Until this date the military needs to announce the location for the test.

The Kazarovian Development of T-2
On the first day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree to help finding a solution for the currently difficult situation with Kazarov. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) Savorian will no longer deny that Kazarov has a right to develop new weapons as an answer to newly developed Savorian weapons especially if they feel threatened by those new weapons.
 * 2) Savoria will refrain from starting any new military interventions against Kazarov.
 * 3) Savoria will seek a diplomatic solution and try to establish neutral relations with Kazarov once more.
 * 4) Savoria demands that the T-2 remains a weapon for emergency situations and not for regular use as Savoria will do it the same way with its new weapon.
 * 5) Savoria demands that Kazarov guarantees that it will take any precaution possible to prevent the T-2 from getting into the wrong hands.

Attack on the Savorian Embassy in Shiza
On the first day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree as a reaction to the recent attack on the Savorian Embassy in Shiza. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) Savorian embassies will be protected by Savorian Security Forces only and no longer rely on foreign security forces to assist in emergency situations.
 * 2) Every Savorian embassy needs to be assigned a QRF that is able to reach the embassy within 45 minutes after being alerted by either land or air.
 * 3) Savorian embassies are now authorized to decide on their own when a situation becomes too dangerous and further assistance is required. It is no longer necessary for higher instances to make a decision first.
 * 4) Every Savorian embassy needs to develop a standard protocol to be followed in case of an attack. The protocol should be taking the individual situation and location of the embassy into consideration.
 * 5) Anyone who attacks a Savorian embassy regardless if they have been ordered to by a foreign Government or if they acted on their own behalf are considered enemies of Savoria and criminals that broke international law.

Immediate changes for the economy
On the second day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree to change certain laws and rules for the economy as well as to distribute financial aid. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) The majority of regulations and rules regarding enterprises are no longer in effect until new regulations and rules have been defined. This allows enterprises to act more freely and with less observations by authorities or obstacles caused by control mechanisms.
 * 2) The export of almost all products is now unregulated and does not require the approval of authorities, local, regional or the national Government.
 * 3) Import of resources is only legal if there is no possibility of buying the resources in question within Savoria.
 * 4) The national Government will invest 7.5 billion Sorras into projects to assist companies at the risk of closing due to financial issues.
 * 5) The national Government will invest 4.5 billion Sorras into projects that aid companies which have been directly affected by the Savorian Civil War
 * 6) The national Government will invest up to 3.5 billion Sorras to fund price reductions for certain products. This should allow the population to buy and consume more for the same amount of money while companies that sell the products will not loose anything.
 * 7) Companies that are in financial trouble can request the authorities to reduce the amount of taxes they have to pay for up to 6 months if certain conditions are fulfilled.
 * 8) The national Government will invest 2.5 billion Sorras to financially support companies that exploit, excavate and produce resources that currently have a shortage within Savoria and have to be imported.

Investments for infrastructure
On the third day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree that starts important infrastructure projects as soon as possible. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) The national Government will invest 1.25 trillion Sorras into repairing and rebuilding any infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed due to events of the Savorian Civil War
 * 2) The national Government will invest 1.80 trillion Sorras to fund new infrastructure across the nation. This includes but is not limited to highways, railroads, seaports and airports.
 * 3) The national Government will invest up to 780 billion Sorras into modernizing undamaged but old infrastructure across the nation.
 * 4) The national Government will invest 30 billion Sorras into building more infrastructure specifically in Shiza.

Plan for the size of the Savorian Military
On the fourth day of his presidency Ubor Lauren signed a decree that determines what size the Savorian Military should have. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) The Savorian Military consists of the Savorian Federal Army (SFA), Savorian Federal Air Force (SFAF), Savorian Federal Navy (SFN), Savorian Security Forces (SSF) and the Savorian Strike and Defence Force (SSDF) with its respective branches.
 * 2) The Savorian Security Forces is a new branch to be formed. It´s main task is the protection of important government and official buildings and infrastructure, within and outside of Savoria that have been designated to be in need of military protection. Further they will provided military protection for important personalities.
 * 3) The branches are planned to have the following amount of (military) personnel: Savorian Federal Army: 750 000, Savorian Federal Air Force: 170 000, Savorian Federal Navy: 110 000, Savorian Security Forces: 45 000, Savorian Strike and Defence Force: 380 000.
 * 4) In total its planned that all federal armed forces combined consist of 1 455 000 military personnel. Civilian personnel is not included in this number.
 * 5) The mandatory military service will require young men to serve at least 18 months in any military branch. Citizens may be drafted into the SFA, SFAF or SFN. Citizens can choose to volunteer instead of being drafted to join either the SSF or SSDF for at least 24 months of service but with greater benefits.
 * 6) Foreign citizens may only serve in enlisted ranks when joining the SFA, SFAF or SFN. Foreign citizens can serve in all positions when joining the SSDF but cannot be promoted to any General rank unless they accept Savorian Citizenship while giving up their old foreign citizenship. Foreign citizens are not allowed to join the SSF in any case.

December 1049
After his first four days of his presidency Ubor Lauren started working on achieving his other political goals.

Meeting with the Zoranian Head of State Anton Relvski
On the 5th of December 1049 Anton Relvski visited the capital of Savoria Rejm to talk with President Ubor Lauren about the future of Hombur. Anton Relvski and Ubor Lauren discussed about the situation for more than 10 hours and both of them left the meeting room more than once to discuss the issue with their advisors. After 10 hours both Anton Relvski and Ubor Lauren entered a public room where journalists were already waiting for them. Before they said anything both Anton Relvksi and Ubor Lauren signed a paper in front of the cameras. Anton Relvski started to speak first after drinking out of the water bottle placed in front of him. "Welcome and thank you all for witnessing this important moment for both of our nations. I´m glad I have recovered enough from my injuries to be able to be here and to finally solve the issues we were having in Hombur. Me and Ubor Lauren discussed for a long time and have decided to start a joint military operation in Hombur. We will no longer split Hombur into a western and eastern part and our military forces will now cooperate to achieve safety for the people of Hombur. Our goal is to have free elections in Hombur and to end the ongoing civil war. We want to build a solid foundation for a new Homburian Government able to handle the issues of their nation without our assistance."

President Ubor Lauren said "Thank you for visiting us here in Savoria Anton Relvski. We are glad we were able to find a solution that works for both sides and I´m looking forward to our cooperation in this matter. Any questions may be asked now."

Anton Relvski and Ubor Lauren answered the questions of the journalists for another hour and then ended the press conference.

Treaty with the autonomous Government of Shiza
On the 7th of December 1049 Ubor Lauren met with leading members of the Shizan Government and moderate Shizan militias in Rejm. The negotiations were not finished until the 8th of December 1049. During a press conference after the meeting Ubor Lauren presented the results of the negotiations:


 * 1) Shiza will gain nearly full independence and will be allowed to create laws independently from the Savorian Federal Government. Further they will be allowed to form their own armed forces with up to 25 000 Soldiers and their own police force.
 * 2) Shiza will no longer use the Savorian currency but will instead create its own currency that can be regulated as desired.
 * 3) Shiza´s economy will be free to operate as desired. However when resources that are important to Savoria´s economy are to be exported they must first be offered to be exported to Savoria at the current market price before they can be exported anywhere else.
 * 4) Savoria gains military access and permanent rights for stationing troops within Shiza. There is no limited for the amount of troops or for the duration they can be stationed.
 * 5) Shiza and Savoria become military allies. Savoria guarantees the protection of Shiza from foreign threats.

Later on the same day President Ubor Lauren signed a decree that would put the above into effect.

Visiting Shiza and signing another treaty
On the 9th of December 1049 Ubor Lauren decided to visit the Savorian Embassy that was attacked during the 28th of November 1049. After that he met the Shizan Government to sign another treaty between Shiza and Savoria. The results were presented when Ubor Lauren returned to Savoria.


 * 1) Shiza will export its oil to Savoria only. The price is going to be adjusted according to the current market price. Further Savoria will support Shiza by paying 25% of the costs of the oil production on top of the price that is paid for the oil.
 * 2) Savoria will work towards connecting Shiza to the Savorian Highway system. This is to improve trade and travel conditions between the two nations.
 * 3) Savoria will deliver all weapons and equipment that are necessary to build up the new Shizan Armed Forces. Deliveries made by private Savorian companies for the Shizan Armed Forces have a discount of 75 %. The Savorian Government will compensate this companies to make it possible for them to deliver weapons for such a cheap price.
 * 4) Savoria will grant Shiza the exclusive right to import Savorian food products at a reduced price. This is to ensure that Shiza will become dependent from the food exports of other nations.
 * 5) Savorian companies will be free to operate in Shiza. Companies that operate and have locations in Shiza need to preferably hire and train Shizan Citizens for the jobs required. All taxes for any profit made within Shiza are paid to the Shizan Government and not the Federal Savorian Government or any Savorian State.

1st controversy regarding high expenditure and reaction
On the 15th of December 1049 President Ubor Lauren was confronted by politicians and experts about the costly programs he created in the past weeks. They especially voiced their concerns about how the Government is planning on financing those programs without significantly increasing taxes and that the resulting debt will have massive impact on the nations yearly interest payments. Shortly after Ubor Lauren wrote a letter directed to all of those that voiced concerns about his methods.

"I do understand your concerns but I ask you to trust me in this matter. All this programs are necessary to secure the future of out nation. Without a good solid base our economy can stand on we will fall behind other nations perhaps much more than we can imagine. The cost is therefore justified. The improvements that this programs come with will soon show their effects on our economic strength and then the debt that seems too big at this moment will be far away from being a major concern."

Operation Furious Storm (Hombur)
On the 18th of December 1049 President Ubor Lauren announced that him and the military high command have decided to launch a major military operation in Hombur in cooperation with the Zoranian Forces. 80 000 troops from various branches are supposed to be deployed in Hombur before the end of December 1049 so that Operation Furious Storm can start in January. The name of the operation has not been chosen randomly as the President explains to the press.

"I know that many citizens are concerned about this decision. I can understand all people who think that this is not our Problem. Hombur is far away so why do our soldiers need to fight and risk their life for this country? The answer is simple. If somewhere a fire starts and no one does anything against it then it will spread. No matter how far the fire is away if no one stops it will get closer and closer until it eventually reaches us. On top of that our previous Government has done their part destabilizing Hombur further. While this is not the fault of the common people or our soldiers it is still our duty to take responsibility for past mistakes. Reestablishing the INC and finally making it the international organization that is needed to maintain peace on the continent. And for that we need to clear the situation with Hombur. But rebels still control most of the country. Some of them are fighting for questionable goals. Others are fighting for values and ideals that are similar to ours. But the only way to reestablish a strong Homburian Central Government that is able to take care of its people is by breaking the power of the rebel groups in all of Hombur. Together with the Zoran Union we will launch a major military operation combined with other measures to break the rebel groups of Hombur and to finally allow us to establish a stable and independent Homburian Government."

Experts believe that the operation will be costly. Both in terms of casualties and money. It is also questionable if the soon to be elected Federal Parliament will support this decisions or might even attempt to revert it.

Riot in Rejm and scandal regarding police actions
On the 20th of December 1049 two days after President Ubor Lauren announced Operation Furious Storm a large crowd gathered in front of the foreign ministry in the capital of Rejm to protest against the planned military operation. The protest started at around 9:30 am. At the time the building was guarded by a few security guards who did not expect such a large crowd as no protests were announced previously. The security guard who was in command of the local security forces Oliver Kazos called the police of Rejm at about 9:56 am and reported that a large crowd of at least 3 000 people as gathered in front of the foreign ministry building and is acting violently. Shortly after this call 270 police officers with riot equipment were dispatched and on their way to the location. However the crowd was actually not violent and it is unknown why Oliver Kazos reported them to be. Some believe he might have lied intentionally so that help would arrive quickly in case things would actually get violent.

At 10:12 am the first group of police officers arrived on the scene. Assuming the report about a violent crowd was true they immediately formed up a line in front of the ministry building facing the crowd in an aggressive stance. Any protestors that came too close to them were attacked with batons. The crowd was shocked but there was no violent reaction. At 10:19 am all groups had arrived and a total of 270 police officer were now on site. The police officer in command Baird Yeno expected a violent crowd and was confused to instead find a crowd that was angry but not in any way violent. He talked to Oliver Kazos who then lied to him by telling him that the crowd has attempted to break into the building before the police forces arrived but were unable to break the reinforced door. Baird Yeno was hesitating to act and told his men to take a defensive stance in front of the building. President Ubor Lauren was informed at 10:26 am about the situation. At 10:31 am Oliver Kazos lied to Baird Yeno once again by claiming that his security guards just stopped a group of 8 violent protestors who sneaked around the back of the building in order to gain entry through one of the windows. The police officers where then ordered by Baird Yeno to disperse the crowd and dissolve the protest.

Smoke grenades and Stun grenades were fired and thrown into the crowd at 10:37 am. Panic spread and some of the protestors tried to flee towards the building where they ran right into the police line that was formed. The police officers hit the protestors with their batons until they turned around once again. Some of the protestors had bleeding wounds after the encounter. The crowd began to partially dissolve but some of the protestors turned violent and started throwing rocks and other items towards the police officers. During this one of the police officers was severely injured and had to be transported to a nearby hospital. At 10:44 am the police got into a wedge formation and charged into the crowd in order to split it. During this there was some serious clashes between some police officers and protestors. Most protestors finally ran off the scene but some took wooden sticks or other things they could find as weapons and tried to attack the line of policemen. They managed to drag and isolate 24 years old police officer Timothy Irkline from the police line taking away his baton and shield and started to hit him with his own baton. Irkline who was panicking reached for his holster and drew his pistol but protestors immediately tried to grab it from him. During the struggle in which he was about to be overpowered he fired two rounds. One of this shots hit 27 years old protester Sam Vouter who was not involved in the struggle and standing about 20 meters away from the situation. Vouter was hit in the head and dead on the spot. The gunshots got the attention of other police officers who rushed to the scene to help Irkline. This forced the other protestors that were trying to take Irkline´s gun to run away.

At 10:58 am the situation was considered cleared. President Ubor Lauren was informed about 3 Police Officers and 43 Protestors who had to be hospitalized and 1 protestor who was killed. The President was outraged and demanded a detailed explanation about what happened and why a protestor was killed. The whole event caused outrage across the whole nation and the people protesting against the military operation gained a lot of support as the police forces and the government were now portrayed as tyrannic institutions that suppress freedom of speech whenever it is working against them.

Clash between Police and Protestors in front of the Zoranian Embassy
On the 22nd of December 1049 the Rejm Police Forces figured out that protestors were networking to plan a blockade in front of the Zoranian Embassy in Rejm. While most protestors were predicted to be peaceful the Rejm Police Forces are expecting that angry protestors or those who want to take revenge for the 20th of December will also be present. President Ubor Lauren was briefed and has instructed to allow a gathering in front of the Zoranian Embassy if it happens but to stop any attempts to actually enter the embassy. The Police Chief of the Rejm Police Forces agreed with that decision and instructed his men to only actively act against protestors that act violently or try to force their way inside the embassy.

It was expected that protestors would gather on the 23th of December 1049 at 9 am in front of the Zoranian Embassy. The Embassy has been informed and instructed to lock all doors and keep windows shut. In front of the embassy 300 police officers with riot gear were gathered and established a line in front of the embassy. All of them were instructed to only have their shields at the ready if they have them but otherwise keep all weapons including their batons holstered until they are needed. As predicted a large crowd amassed in front of the Zoranian Embassy. The Rejm Police Forces at the time believed they were dealing with at least 4 000 protestors. They kept singing in choirs and were protesting loudly but until 11:30 am no violence or other incidents were reported. The media kept a close eye on the police actions and the police forces were doing their best to portray a different picture than they did three days ago.

At 11:41 am a group of about 70 protestors stormed out of the crowd most of them wearing some basic protective gear. They ran right into the police line in the center trying to force their way through. The police managed to push them back just with physical power and their shields without having to get any more violent. Only a few minutes later three makeshift fire bombs were thrown into the formation of the police resulting in two police officers catching fire. The fire was quickly put out by surrounding police officers but one police officer had to be hospitalized. The situation heated up but the police decided to hold their position and wait for the next move of the violent protestors. Shortly after this events some peaceful protestors who were shocked left the scene. At 11:59 am another large group of at least 120 protestors armed with wooden sticks charged forward and straight into the police line. This time the police officers were forced to use their batons as the protestors attempted to drag some police officers away from their formation. One of the attacking protestors suffered a severe head injury but still managed to run off. A nearby police vehicle with a megaphone announced to the crowd that any violent attacks against police forces have to be ceased immediately or the police will be forced to react accordingly. Only a few minutes later two more fire bombs were thrown into the police formation injuring two more police officers.

As a reaction the police faked a charge towards the crowd resulting in many protestors running away. At 12:16 am the leader of the protest asked all peaceful protestors with no violent intentions to leave the scene immediately. He was not willing to tolerate unprovoked attacks against the police forces. As a result the crowd became much smaller over the course of the next 30 minutes until only about 400 protestors were left on the scene. Those remaining protestors started throwing rocks at the police officers which resulted in the police charging into the crowd to disperse it. It was a violent clash but after a few minutes the protestors backed down and decided to run off. This clash left 23 protestors and 6 police officers injured who all had to be hospitalized. This time the protestors were blamed for the violence and the government and the police forces managed to move away from being considered tyrannical.

During the protest a total of 9 police officers and 24 protestors were injured and had to be hospitalized.

Anti Slavery Act
On the 28th of December 1049 President Ubor Lauren signed a decree which would introduce new rules and regulations for Savorian businesses as well as foreign business that are operating in Savoria or selling their products in Savoria. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) It is now officially illegal for any business registered in Savoria to profit directly or indirectly from slavery or inhuman working conditions. While slavery was illegal in Savoria already the Anti Slavery Act is specifically targeted against businesses that use other locations around the world where cheap labor in form of slavery is available to them. Further it disallows Savorian companies to profit from producing in countries where the working conditions in relation to the payment the workers receive are considered inhuman.
 * 2) Any foreign business that is known for using slaves as workers or profiting from inhuman working conditions or are caught to do so can no longer legally operate or sell their products within Savoria. Foreign businesses that are affected by this rules but want to reorganize their business operations in order to comply with this new rules will be given a time period of 3 months to do so.
 * 3) Savorian businesses that use slaves in another country or are profiting from inhuman working conditions or are caught to do so will receive a fine up to 100 % of the company´s last year profit or a minimum of 2.5 million Sorras. CEO´s that actively contributed to this conditions can also be punished with up to 10 years of prison. Savorian businesses that have more than one violation of the Anti Slavery Act on record at any time can be forced to transfer ownership to other more responsible owners or to close down entirely.
 * 4) Slavery is now more than ever before considered a crime against humanity by Savoria and all its institutions. No human can be made a slave regardless of who they are. The Savorian Nation positions itself against anyone who supports abusing humans in such a cruel, unfair and heartless way. Savoria hereby commits itself to use all of its diplomatic, economic and if necessary military power and influence to prevent and stop slavery around the world no matter of what kind of slavery.

Diplomatic crisis regarding the capture of Aiden Krice
On the 26th of January 1050 President Ubor Lauren received a message from the Prassian Government. The message was the following:

"To the Savorian President Ubor Lauren,

President Lauren as the responsible leader of Savoria we respect your opinions and actions even if they are not always in line with our own. We agree that the situation in Hombur has to change. While we do not agree that your way to achieve that is the right way we will not stand in your way. However we can not stress it enough that we are very concerned about your cooperation with the Zoran Union regarding Hombur.

The true reason for this message is that we have learned that you captured Aiden Krice an important Homburian Rebel Leader. As you maybe already know we have been supporting him and his troops with weapons and military knowledge for quite a long time. Now as mentioned before we do not want to stand in your way. But we demand that Aiden Krice is released by you immediately and send to Prassen via plane. He is an important personality to us and we believe that he is going to play an important role in the future for Hombur regardless of the outcome of your operation. We want to make it clear that Aiden Krice is enjoying the protection of the Prassian Government and it would be considered as a hostile action against Prassen if he was to be harmed or not immediately released and send to us.

Our desire is to keep peaceful relations with you. We hope that you have the same mindset and will respect our opinion as we do yours."

President Ubor Lauren responded with the following:

"To the Prassian Government,

Our opinions truly differ. But in the interest of keeping the peace between our nations and to show you that we respect your opinions as well and appreciate that you decided to tolerate our military operation in Hombur I have ordered that Aiden Krice is to be released immediately. He will be given a plane ticket in order to reach your country as soon as possible. I hope that with this action this issue has been dealt with."

Conclusion of Operation Furious Storm
On the 21st of February 1050 President Ubor Lauren gave a speech about the current situation in Hombur and Operation Furious Storm:

"Citizens of Savoria,

Many of us had to made sacrifices in the past years. The civil war, various military operations and wars. I know most of you are likely tired of loosing friends or even members of your family in past and current military conflicts. But we do not always have the time to wait. We do not always have the luxury of choosing the easy and more comfortable path. As I have said before if a fire is not put out in its early stage it will spread. It will increase its size until it will eventually become uncontrollable. I explained you why I believe that what we are doing in Hombur is the right thing and I still believe that. But I must admit that I have underestimated the price that our soldiers would have to pay. I´m confident that until the end of this month all major rebel groups will have been defeated. The remaining rebel groups may seek to continue the fight with unconventional warfare. Or they might become terrorists that conduct pointless attacks against innocent civilians. But their power will still be broken and any attempt they make to change that will be without the slightest chance of success. We have beaten them together with our Zoranian allies. Victory is in our grasps and Hombur will once again be a safe and beautiful country to live in.

I would like to pay my respects to those who made the largest sacrifice that can be made. They paid with their life. But they know they did it for a good cause. And when they are now at some other place that we will not be able to reach until its our time to go and think about their life then they will know that they do not need to be ashamed of anything they have done. We broke the resistance of the rebel groups and we think that casualties will become less from now on. But now it is time for me to tell you another importantfact. Since the start of Operation Furious Storm at the end of December 1049, 18 778 Savorian Soldiers were killed and 11 943 were severely injured and we unfortunately expect that at least half of them will never fully recover from those injuries. 89 Savorian Soldiers are still missing in action and their fate remains unknown. On the other side we can confirm that at least 37 692 rebel fighters were killed and at least 19 742 were severely injured. This numbers could be higher but they represent what we are able to confirm for now. Another 8 721 rebel fighters were captured by our forces and can no longer cause any harm to anyone.

Operation Furious Storm will soon be concluded. And then most of our soldiers will be able to finally return home!"

Announcement to revisit the equipment of the SSDF
On the 24th of February 1050 Ubor Lauren signed a decree that orders a thorough investigation about if the current SSDF equipment is still capable of doing its current job. Some rumors are making rounds that claim Ubor Lauren´s goal is sign a lengthy contact with a few Savorian Arms Manufactures to further strengthen the Savorian economy. The decree included the following aspects:


 * 1) There was two cases of gas attacks against SSDF Forces during Operation Furious Storm. The reintroduction of gas masks is ordered by the president. It will be mandatory for any SSDF soldiers to always have a gas mask with him when on duty.
 * 2) Experts of the SSDF will meet with the President and Savorian Arms Manufacturers to collect some offers for new standard equipment. The costs will be covered by the decree regarding the size of the Savorian military signed by President Ubor Lauren before.
 * 3) Armored vehicles and regular vehicles will be revisited and replaced if necessary. It is supposed to be a lengthy contract with a Savorian Company in order to keep the costs as low as possible while still allowing the SSDF to possess powerful combat vehicles.
 * 4) Aircraft will be revisited and replaced if necessary. The SSDF and the Savorian Federal Air Force are supposed to use the same aircraft in order to keep costs low. The contract is supposed to be with an Savorian Aircraft Designer.

Scandal following military operations on the 27th of February 1050 in Hombur
During the 27th of February 1050 the Savorian military launched a mission during Operation Furious Storm in order to stop the the remaining rebel forces from leaving Hombur. The mission was planned and executed after President Ubor Lauren pressured the commanders to take action despite the harsh weather conditions. Hombur was affected by a dangerous snowstorm during the time and military advisors have advised President Lauren to not conduct any military missions while the snowstorm was still raging. On the 28th of February 1050 all this info reached the public after multiple commanders of various ranks have complained about the mission knowingly being conducted during "harsh and inhuman" conditions and the price paid for the mission´s success was abnormally high. 75 % of all casualties were caused by the harsh weather conditions during that day. On top of that there were complains about forgetting about the helpless civilian population. Multiple commanders of units responsible for logistics had gathered volunteers which were supposed to supply the local population with food, water and fire material. All those missions had to be cancelled after the new orders arrived. President Ubor Lauren refused to give a statement about the events.

First contracts for new equipment
On the 2nd of March 1050 Ubor Lauren and his main military advisors signed some contracts with Savorian Arms Manufacturers that would partially alter the infantry equipment used by the SSDF or move the production of them to Savoria. The following decisions were made:


 * 1) The Mk 17 Standard variant will be introduced as the new Standard Service Rifle of the SSDF. By standard the ammunition will be delivered in form of 7.62mm 30Rnd Mk17 Curved Magazines. The Rifle will also come with a Flash Hider, Lasers and a Flashlight by standard. The standard sight to be delivered and attached to it will be the Trijicon ACOG TA31F with an attached Reflex sight with an optional M68 CCO sight added from the current stockpile of the SSDF. Rifles meant for grenadiers will be delivered with an EGLM grenade launcher attached under the barrel. The G3A3 the former Standard Service Rifle will be used by the Savorian Security Forces or moved to the stockpile of the SSDF along with its attachments. The M320 GLM grenade launchers will be handed to the Savorian Federal Army. All rifles delivered to the SSDF will be produced in Savorian factories.
 * 2) The Mk 17 SV variant or sometimes referred to as the LB (Long Barrel) variant will be introduced as the new marksman rifle of the SSDF. Just as for the Standard variant the ammunition will be delivered in form of 7.62mm 30Rnd Mk17 Curved Magazines. The Rifle will also come with a Flash Hider, Lasers, a Flashlight and a VLTOR Modpod Bipod by standard. The standard sight to be delivered and attached to it will be the Leupold Mk4 MR/T 2.5-8x36mm M1. An optional M68 CCO will be added from the current stockpile of the SSDF. The previously used M110 Rifles and their sights will be moved to the stockpile of the SSDF. The rifles will be produced in Savorian factories.
 * 3) The Glock 17 will be introduced as the new Standard Sidearm of the SSDF. By standard the ammunition will be delivered in form of 17Rnd Glock M882 Full Metal Jacket Magazines. The pistols will be delivered with a flashlight by standard. The old sidearm of the SSDF the TT-33 will be partially handed to the Savorian Security Forces and partially to the new Shizan Armed Forces. The pistols will be produced in Savorian factories only.
 * 4) After requests from SSDF soldiers fighting in the field a new AT Launcher designated as "Light" Unguided AT Launcher will be introduced. The RBR-M80 as a disposable rocket launcher with HEAT ammunition only will see extensive service in the future. It is supposed to serve as an lightweight and more flexible alternative to the heavier Unguided AT Launcher Mk153 Mod 0 SMAW but not supposed to replace it entirely. The RBR-M80 will be produced by Savorian factories. The production of the Mk153 Mod 0 SMAW Launchers will be moved to Savorian Factories as a different company will be contracted to manufacture and deliver them than previously. This however could mean that in the upcoming months there will be shortage of this weapon which should be somewhat compensated by the introduction of the RBR-M80 Launcher.
 * 5) The current guided AT Launcher the FGM-148 Javelin has proven itself to be an effective countermeasure for infantry against heavily armored vehicles. Because of this the FGM-148 Javelin will stay in the arsenal of the SSDF. It was already produced by Savorian factories and its production will be slightly increased with this new contract.
 * 6) The current AA Launcher Strela-2 9k32 will be kept in the arsenal of the SSDF. Even though it has not been required often in the recent past it still gives the infantry a possibility to defend themselves against enemy aircraft without assistance from other units. While not the most expensive and effective weapon the SSDF could obtain it serves its purpose good enough. It was previously imported from Ipenda but will now be produced by a Savorian Arms Manufacturer. Production will take some time to be established but there is no shortage expected regardless.
 * 7) The former standard light machine gun of he SSDF the Minimi will be replaced by a different variant the FN Minimi Para. The military advisors have suggested that the new variant will increase the efficiency of SSDF Infantry Units.. Main advantages are that it is shorter, more lightweight and features a sliding buttstock and also allows compatibility for attaching a Laser and Flashlight Device. This allows for more mobility and more flexible use of the weapon during offensive manuevering. Production will be moved to Savoria with this new contract and the old Minimi light machine guns will stay in service and slowly be replaced by the new variant. Some of the old Light Machine Guns will be refit to the new variant while others will likely find their way to the Savorian Security Forces or the Savorian Federal Army. The new variant will be delivered with ammunition in form of Box Magazines containing 200 rounds each. It will be delivered with a Trijicon ACOG TA31F with an attached Reflex sight. M68 CCO sights will be available from the stockpile. The weapon will also be delivered with a Flash Hider, Lasers, a flashlight and a Bipod.
 * 8) The standard medium machine gun of the SSDF the MG3 will be kept. The weapon was partially produced in foreign factories. All production is going to be moved to Savorian factories with this contract. Additionally all MG3´s of the SSDF will be equipped with a Lasers and Flashlight device and a Trijicon ACOG TA31F with an attached Reflex sight. The ammunition will delivered in form of 7.62mm 120 Round Box Magazines. M68 CCO sights will be available from the stockpile.
 * 9) The standard sub-machine gun MP7A1 will continue to serve as the main crew weapon of the SSDF. By standard the ammunition will delivered in form of 4.6mm 40 round magazines. The weapon will be equipped with a M68 CCO sight. The weapon is already produced within Savoria.
 * 10) The sniper rifle of the SSDF the T-5000 will kept in the same version as before by standard equipped with a Schmidt and Bender 5-25x56 PM II LP optic. The standard ammunition delivered for the rifle are 5 rounds .338 clips.

Response to terrorist attacks during the 23rd of March 1050
During the evening of the 23rd of March 1050 President Ubor Lauren addressed the public via TV and radio stations to talk about terrorist attack that occurred during the same day in and around the city of Panzia in the state El Bordo. Savorian police forces that were aided by the national guard and SSDF forces that were stationed in the area at the time estimate that the attacks were carried out by between 300 and 400 armed terrorists. During the attack 85 civilians were killed and at least 300 civilians were injured. 27 Police Officers lost their lives while trying to intervene and stop the attack and at least 40 Police Officer were injured. 4 Savorian Soldiers were killed while aiding the local police and at least 12 were injured. 260 armed terrorists were killed by security forces, 25 injured and 13 arrested. Ubor Lauren said the following:

"I´m very shocked by the brutal attacks that were carried out in Panzia a few hours ago. My heart is with everyone who lost someone important to them during this attacks and with everyone who lost their lives in such a terrible way. I never thought that something like this would happen in Savorian and even less during my presidency. But now that I´m confronted with this issue I guarantee you that will do everything to not only track down and punish those who are responsible for the attacks and still alive but also to prevent such a brutal and ruthless attack from happening ever again.

We already have clues who exactly could be behind this attacks and more importantly who supported and supplied them. It can not be a coincidence that between 300 and 400 terrorists with assault rifles and other heavy weaponry can reach the heart of Savoria this easily without a single one of them being discovered. We know that most of this terrorists are not from Savoria and most of them have entered the country during the past months. We will not rest and we will not give up until we figure out what has happend. Savoria is being threatened but we´re always ready to answer back.

I ask you all to stay together in this dark days. Don´t let those terrorists scare you don´t let them get the better of you. Live your lives and show them that you´re not impressed by their brutal actions that you´re not frightened by their threats. They is just so few of them and they will not be able to win against millions resisting them.

And lastly I want to address the terrorists which I am sure at least some of them are listening to me right now. You think you have the upper hand. You think you´re strong and have our lives in your hand. You think you have the power to strike anywhere and make us bow down to your ideals, your ideology, your goals. You think we´re afraid of you. But you´re severely mistaken. You should be afraid of us. We outnumber you by far. We´re stronger and we´re more united than you can ever become. You can not intimidate me, our security forces or our people. We stand together against you. You can´t kill all of us and for each one of us you do kill the price you have to pay in return will be much much higher."