Abkhazia conflict

Abkhazia conflict
Part of post-Soviet conflicts
Date 18 March 1989 – present Location Abkhazia, Georgia[1] Status Ongoing; frozen conflict
Belligerents
Abkhaz ASSR (before 1992)  Abkhazia (after 1992) CMPC (1992–1993) /  Russia	Georgian SSR (before 1990) / Georgia (after 1990)
Commanders and leaders
Vladislav Ardzinba (1990–2005) Sergei Bagapsh (2005–11) Alexander Ankvab (2011–14) Raul Khajimba (2014–20) Aslan Bzhania (2020–present) Shamil Basayev (1992–1993) Sultan Sosnaliyev (1992–1993) Musa Shanibov (1992–1993) / Boris Yeltsin (1991–1999) Dmitry Medvedev (2008–2012) Vladimir Putin (2000–2008, 2012–present)	Givi Gumbaridze (1989–1990) Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1990–92) Eduard Shevardnadze (1992–2003) Mikheil Saakashvili (2004–13) Giorgi Margvelashvili (2013–18) Salome Zourabichvili (2018–present)

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History of Georgia
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Early modern history Duchy of Ksani Samtskhe-Saatabago Kingdom of Kartli Kingdom of Kakheti Kingdom of Imereti Principality of Guria Principality of Svaneti Principality of Mingrelia Principality of Abkhazia Safavid Georgia Childir Eyalet Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti
Modern history Georgia since 1991 Russo-Georgian War
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History of Abkhazia
Early Prehistoric settlement Antiquity
Medieval Byzantine Empire Archontate of Abasgia Kingdom of Abkhazia Kingdom of Georgia Duchy of Tskhumi Kingdom of Imereti Principality of Abkhazia
19th century to 1921 Russian Empire Expulsion of Muslim Abkhazians Russian Revolution Sochi conflict Democratic Republic of Georgia Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
Soviet era SSR Abkhazia (1921–1931) Abkhaz ASSR (1931–1991)
Contemporary era Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Abkhazia since 1994
Abkhazia portal
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The Abkhazia conflict is a

The conflict, one of the bloodiest in the post-Soviet era, remains unresolved. The Georgian government has offered substantial autonomy to Abkhazia several times. However, both the Abkhaz government and the opposition in Abkhazia refuse any form of union with Georgia. Abkhaz regard their independence as the result of a war of liberation from Georgia, while Georgians believe that historically Abkhazia has always formed part of Georgia.^[6] Georgians formed the single largest ethnic group in pre-1993 Abkhazia, with a 45.7% plurality as of 1989. During the war the Abkhaz separatist side carried out an ethnic cleansing campaign which resulted in the expulsion of up to 250,000^[7] and in the killing of more than 5,000 ethnic Georgians.^[8] The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conventions of Lisbon, Budapest and Istanbul have officially recognized the ethnic cleansing of Georgians,^[9] which UN General Assembly Resolution GA/10708 also mentions.^[10] The UN Security Council has passed a series of resolutions in which it appeals for a cease-fire.^[11]

Background

The written history of Abkhazia largely begins with the

Following the Russian Revolutions, Georgia initially joined the

Tensions between Abkhazians and Georgians began to escalate in 1980s as Georgians increasingly pushed for independence from the Soviet Union, while Abkhazians wanted to remain in the

The July events in Abkhazia left at least 18 dead and 448 injured, of whom, according to official accounts, 302 were Georgians.[19] Although the government managed to end the violence and maintain peace at that time, the conflict developed further and resulted in the next years in what is often referred as "war of laws". In 1991, Georgia refused to take part in referendum to preserve the Soviet Union as a renewed federation, opting to hold an independence referendum, which led to a declaration of independence. However, Abkhazia defied Tbilisi and took part in the Soviet referendum, which was boycotted by the Georgian population of Abkhazia.

In order to defuse tensions, newly elected Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia agreed on an arrangement to grant a wide over-representation to the Abkhazians in the local Supreme Council, with Abkhazians, while being only 18% of the population, getting the largest portion of seats.^[20] According to this settlement, the 65 seats in the Supreme Soviet were allocated to different ethnic groups; 28 were reserved for Abkhazians, 26 for Georgians (46% of the total population) and 11 for the other ethnic groups.^[21] The elections were held in September 1991 and resulted in Vladislav Ardzinba being appointed as Chairman of the Abkhazian Supreme Council. Ardzinba, who was a charismatic but excitable figure popular among the Abkhaz, was believed by Georgians to have helped to instigate the anti-Georgian violence of July 1989. Ardzinba exploited the Georgian Civil War which began in December 1991 to consolidate his power and launched a practice of replacing ethnic Georgians in leading positions with the Abkhaz. Ardzinba created the Abkhazian National Guard that was mono-ethnically Abkhaz, and on 24 June 1992, attacked the building of the Abkhazian Interior Ministry, a last stronghold of Georgian authority in Abkhazia, severely beating the ethnic Georgian minister Givi Lominadze and installing Abkhaz Alexander Ankvab. These events led to a split in the Supreme Council between Georgian and Abkhazian factions and forced the Georgian faction to boycott the sessions. In turn, On 23 July 1992, the Abkhazian faction of the Supreme Council, without a quorum, passed a resolution on restoring the 1925 Abkhazian constitution, declaring a "sovereign state" from Georgia. On 25 July 1992, State Council of the Republic of Georgia, a governing body of Georgia at that time, responded with a special resolution, which nullified this declaration, with Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze pointing out that the separatist decision contradicted the opinion of the majority of Abkhazian population.^[22] Meanwhile, the Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba intensified his ties with hard-line Russian politicians and military elite and declared he was ready for a war with Georgia.^[23]

War in Abkhazia

The conflict eventually devolved into a war, which lasted for 13 months, beginning in August, 1992, with Georgian government forces and a militia composed of ethnic Georgians who lived in Abkhazia and separatist forces consisting of ethnic

In April–May 1998, the conflict escalated once again in the Gali District when several hundred Abkhaz forces entered the villages still populated by Georgians to support the separatist-held parliamentary elections. Despite criticism from the opposition, Eduard Shevardnadze, President of Georgia, refused to deploy troops against Abkhazia. A ceasefire was negotiated on May 20. The hostilities resulted in hundreds of casualties from both sides and an additional 20,000 Georgian refugees.

In September 2001, around 400 Chechen fighters and 80 Georgian guerrillas appeared in the Kodori Valley. The Chechen-Georgian paramilitaries advanced as far as Sukhumi, but finally were repelled by the Abkhazian forces.

Saakashvili era

The new Georgian government of President Mikheil Saakashvili promised not to use force and to resolve the problem only by diplomacy and political talks.^[24]

While at a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit it was decided not to carry out contacts with separatists, the trans-border economic cooperation and transport between Abkhazia and Russia grew in scale, with Russia claiming that all this is a matter of private business, rather than state.^{[citation needed]} Georgia also decried the unlimited issuing of Russian passports in Abkhazia with subsequent payment of retirement pensions and other monetary benefits by Russia, which Georgia considers to be economic support of separatists by the Russian government.^[24]

In May 2006 the Coordinating Council of Georgia's Government and Abkhaz separatists was convened for the first time since 2001.

On May 15, 2008 United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognising the right of all refugees to return to Abkhazia and reclaim their property rights. It regretted the attempts to alter pre-war demographic composition and called for the "rapid development of a timetable to ensure the prompt voluntary return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes."^[27]

August 2008

On August 10, 2008, the Russo-Georgian War spread to Abkhazia, where separatist rebels and the Russian air force launched an all-out attack on Georgian forces. Abkhazia's pro-Moscow separatist President Sergei Bagapsh said that his troops had launched a major "military operation" to force Georgian troops out of the Kodori Gorge, which they still controlled.^[28] As a result of this attack, Georgian troops were driven out of Abkhazia entirely.

On August 26, 2008, the Russian Federation officially recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.^[29]

In response to Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Georgian government announced that the country cut all diplomatic relations with Russia and that it left the Commonwealth of Independent States.^[30]

After the 2008 war

Relations between Georgia and Abkhazia have remained tense after the war. Georgia has moved to increase Abkhazia's isolation by imposing a

In 2016, murder of ethnic Georgian Giga Otkhozoria by Abkhaz border guards caused international resonance and raised question about human rights situation of ethnic Georgians remaining in Abkhazia, particularly Gali district, where 98% is ethnic Georgian and is often subject to ethnic discrimination, denial of political and civil rights and police misconduct.^[33][34][35]

See also

• Abkhazia–Georgia border
• Georgian–Ossetian conflict
• Russo-Georgian War
• Politics of Abkhazia
• Transnistria conflict
• Women's Peace Train

Notes

Bibliography

• ISBN 978-0-90-636230-3
• ISBN 978-0-70-071162-8
• Cornell, Svante E.;
  ISBN 978-0-76-562508-3
• ISBN 978-0-87-725198-9
• Hewitt, B.G. (1993), "Abkhazia: a problem of identity and ownership",
  doi:10.1080/02634939308400819
• Hewitt, George (2013), Discordant Neighbours: A Reassessment of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian Conflicts, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill,
  ISBN 978-9-00-424892-2
• Kaufman, Stuart J. (2001), Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War, Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press,
  ISBN 0-8014-8736-6
• doi:10.1080/02634939508400893
• ISBN 978-1-78-023030-6
• Saparov, Arsène (2015), From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh, New York City: Routledge,
  ISBN 978-0-41-565802-7
• ISBN 978-0-25-320915-3
• Welt, Cory (2012), "A Fateful Moment: Ethnic Autonomy and Revolutionary violence in the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)", in
  ISBN 978-0-41-559238-3
• ISBN 978-0-81-479709-9

Further reading

• Blair, Heather "Ethnic Conflict as a Tool of Outside Influence: An Examination of Abkhazia and Kosovo.", 2007
• ISBN 0-7656-1710-2
• Lynch, Dov. The Conflict in Abkhazia: Dilemmas in Russian 'Peacekeeping' Policy. Royal Institute of International Affairs, February 1998.
• MacFarlane, S., N., “On the front lines in the near abroad: the CIS and the OSCE in Georgia’ s civil wars", Third World Quarterly, Vol 18, No 3, pp 509– 525, 1997.
• Marshania, L., Tragedy of Abkhazia, Moscow, 1996
• McCallion, Amy Abkhazian Separatism
• Steele, Jon. "War Junkie: One Man`s Addiction to the Worst Places on Earth" Corgi (2002).
  ISBN 0-552-14984-5
• White Book of Abkhazia. 1992–1993 Documents, Materials, Evidences. Moscow, 1993.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.

• Accord issue on the Georgia Abkhazia peace process also includes chronology and key texts & agreements. (in English and Russian)
• "Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
• Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Abkhazians by Georgians Archived 2008-11-05 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
• Government of Abkhazia (-in-exile)