August 2019 Trade War

The August 2019 Trade War was an economic conflict between Zamastan and Trive on one side; with Xiomera and Kerlile on the other. The conflict began when Zamastan imposed sanctions on Xiomera for alleged media censorship. A resolution to the conflict was found during a mediation conference in Eiria which began on the 29th August 2019.

Background

Zamastan had historically poor relations with both Xiomera and Kerlile. At the 2019 Tofino Leaders Summit, the Zamastanian delegation issued threats to the Kerlian delegation over alleged interference in the Aelurian Independence Referendum, 2019 - of which no evidence has ever been found. Zamastan also regularly entered into disputes with Xiomera, including a further trade dispute later in 2019 after the resolution in Eiria.

Timeline

Sanctions on Xiomera

During the Extradition Crisis, Xiomera requested the extradition of four journalists living in Zamastan. Zamastanian authorities rejected the request, granting the journalists asylum. They also accused Xiomera of engaging in media censorship - imposing a number of harsh sanctions on Xiomera.

Hack of Kerlian media

On the 5th August, Trive launched an unprovoked cyberattack on Kerlile, broadcasting a message on loudspeakers in Kerlile calling the Matriarchy a "rogue state" and offering all Kerlian men Trivian citizenship for five hours. In response, Kerlile raised their threat level to severe, sent members of the Kerlian Women's Liberation Army to assist in border security, and allocated 5 billion Kerlian credits to the nation's Cybersecurity Division. Kerlile also threatened to shoot down any aircraft violating Kerlian airspace. Kerlile also imposed an embargo on all Trivian products until an apology was issued, and issued a travel ban for Trivian citizens. On the 12th August, Prince Yuri Yakovlev of Trive issued a formal apology to Kerlile.