Acirian Liberation Movement

The Acirian Liberation Movement (ALM; Aciriano: Movimento di Liberazione Aciriani, MLA) is an ethnic Acirian paramilitary organization that seeks the liberation of ethnic Acirianis in Grajnidaren lands, and the annexation of the areas historically owned and inhabited by ethnic Acirians from the Kingdom of Grajnidar. Acirian nationalism is a core tenet of the ALM, and the creation of Greater Aciria, which would include all Acirians in Sarpedon, highlighting Acirian culture, nation and ethnicity.

Roots of the ALM are in the ethnic conflicts between Aciriani- and Grajnidaren tribes have existed since at least the 6th century, following the first contact between the semi-nomadic raiders from the south. A conflict known as the War of Liberation between the Kingdom of Aciria and the Vsikitan Commonwealth begun with the Acirian invasion of the Commonwealth is the first well-documented conflict between the two peoples. Eventually in 1974, the Grajnidaren ultra-nationalist group Grajnidaren Pride committed a massacre against the ethnic Acirianis inhabiting the northern region of Grajnidar. Following the lack of reaction by the Aciriani government and the Emperor, officers and conscripts from the Aciriani military seized an arms depot from the 4th Alpini Regiment stationed in south of the country and went into hiding, eventually reappearing in Grajnidaren territory where they initially focused on defending ethnic Aciriani areas, to moving on the offensive in the Vsikite areas where massacres against the Vsikites were committed as a response to the 1974 Aciriani massacre.

The Imperial Seat of Aciria quickly condemned the actions of the ALM, but reports of alleged official PAI involvement in both the formation of and supplying of the ALM have floated around since the 1980s.

Funding
The ALM receives funding from ethnic Acirianis from both Aciria and abroad. Funds from those sympathizing with their cause also aren't uncommon. Aciriani leftist organization Social Renovation Movement has also been confirmed to have smuggled weapons and supplies from abroad to the ALM via Aciria. The funding and supplies are often given to the ethnic Acirianis in recent days, while in the 1970s and 1980s most of the funding and supplies went directly to the ALM to fund their operations.

ALM is also reported to have been involved in drug trafficking and manufacturing as a major source of income since the 1980s. Aciriani investigative journalist Fiorida Basilvestri claims that her anonymous sources in the ALM confirmed this, but due to Basilvestri fervently refusing to name her source, the claim has never been confirmed.

Ever since the 1980s reports and conspiracy theories regarding PAI involvement in the conflict have sprouted up, attributed to the fact founders Acquino Ferrarone and Ignandro Guerri were both employed by PAI in the past before their founding of ALM, and the quality and amount of arms ALM was in possession of in its heyday.

In Aciria
Originally founded by military officers and conscripts displeased with lack of government action following the massacre of Acirianis in Grajnidar, the majority of initial ALM members and recruits were military, or ex-military. Some officers and conscripts later on joined, but majority of those who joined later were unemployed, lower income men. ALM targeted this demographic in particular due to their lack of place in the world, and the ALM offering an honourable purpose in life. The ALM didn't discriminate based on tribes, with Acirianis, Marinai and Montanaro are in its rank indiscriminately.

Foreign volunteers
Only a few confirmed reports of foreign nationals joining the ALM exist, but the demographic of the recruits is the same as those recruited in Aciria. Often the volunteers were of Aciriani descent.