The Georgian–Abkhazian conflict refers to the ethnic conflict between Georgians and Abkhazians in Abkhazia, which is presently a de facto independent partially recognized republic. In a broader sense, Georgian-Abkhaz conflict can be considered as part of a geopolitical conflict in the Caucasus region, intensified at the end of the 20th century in conjunction with the Collapse of the Soviet Union.

History of Abkhazia
This article is part of a series
Early History of Abkhazia
Prehistoric settlement
Abkhazia in antiquity
Abkhazia from the 8th to the 19th century
Kingdom of Abkhazia
Abkhazian-Georgian Kingdom
Principality of Abkhazia
Abkhazia from the 19th century to 1921
Abkhazia within the Russian Empire
Abkhazia from 1917 to 1921
Soviet Abkhazia
Socialist Soviet Republic Abkhazia (1921-1931)
Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1931-1991)
Modern Abkhazia
Georgian-Abkhazian conflict
Abkhazia after the war
Abkhazia Portal  v • d • e

The conflict, one of the bloodiest in the post-Soviet area, remains unresolved. The Georgian government offered large autonomy to Abkhazia several times. However, both the Abkhaz separatist government and opposition refuse any forms of union with Georgia. Abkhaz consider their independence as a result of a war of liberation from Georgia, while Georgians believe that historically Abkhazia has always been part of Georgia. Georgians formed the single largest ethnic group in pre-war Abkhazia, with a 45.7% plurality as of 1989. Many accuse Eduard Shevardnadze’s government of the initiation of senseless hostilities, and then of ineffective conduct of the war and post-war diplomacy.^{[citation needed]} During the war, the Abkhaz separatist side carried out full scale ethnic cleansing campaign which resulted in the expulsion of up to 250,000 ethnic Georgians and more than 15,000 killed.^[1][2][3] The ethnic cleansing of Georgians has been recognized officially by the OSCE conventions of Lisbon, Budapest and Istanbul (also mentioned in UN General Assembly Resolution GA/10708).^[4][5] UN Security Council passed series of resolutions in which is appeals for a cease-fire and condemned the Abkhazian policy of ethnic-cleansing.^[6]

Contents 1 Events 1.1 Soviet era 1.2 War in Abkhazia 1.3 Resumption of hostilities 1.4 Saakashvili era 1.5 August 2008 1.6 After the war 2 See also 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External links

[edit] Events

[edit] Soviet era

This article lacks historical information. Please add it if you can. For help, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Historical information.

In the Soviet era Abkhazia was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Abkhazian ASSR), an entity within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR)^[7]

The secessionist sentiments are to be traced back to 1979 and 1981, when numerous manifestations were held demanding the inclusion of Abkhazia into the RSFSR.^[8]

[edit] War in Abkhazia

The conflict involved a 13-month long Abkhazian war, beginning in August 1992, with Georgian government forces and militia made of ethnic Georgians who lived in Abkhazia on one side and Russian-backed separatist forces made of ethnic Abkhazians, Armenians and Russians who also lived in Abkhazia on the other side. The separatists were supported by the North Caucasian and Cossack militants and (unofficially) by Russian forces stationed in Gudauta. The conflict resulted in an agreement in Sochi to cease hostilities, however, this would not last.

Georgia-Russia relations (1988-2008)

Internal conflicts in Georgia Georgian Civil War 1991-1992 War in South Ossetia 1992-1993 War in Abkhazia 2003 Rose revolution 2004 Adjara crisis 2006 Georgia-Russia crisis Gas pipeline explosions Ban of wines Kodori crisis Espionage controversy Deportation of Georgians 2007 Alleged air space violations Helicopter attack incident Missile incident Plane downing incident 2007 Russian ambassador controversy 2007 Georgian demonstrations 2008 Georgia-Russia crisis 2008 War in South Ossetia v • d • e

[edit] Resumption of hostilities

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 in extremely controversial conditions. The Chechen-Georgian paramilitaries advanced as far as Sukhumi, but finally were repelled by Abkhaz and Gudauta based Russian peacekeepers.

[edit] 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.^[9]

While at a CIS summit it was decided to exclude any contact with separatists; the trans-border economic cooperation and transport between Abkhazia and Russia grows in scale, with Russia claiming that all this is a matter of private business, rather than state.^{[citation needed]} Georgia also decries 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.^[9]

In May 2006 the Coordinating Council of Georgia’s Government and Abkhaz separatists was convened for the first time since 2001.^[10] In late July the 2006 Kodori crisis erupted, resulting in the establishment of the de jure Government of Abkhazia in Kodori. For the first time after the war, this government is located in Abkhazia, and is headed by Malkhaz Akishbaia, Temur Mzhavia and Ada Marshania.^[11]

Currently, the Abkhaz side demands reparations from the Georgian side of $13 billion in US currency for damages in this conflict. The Georgian side dismisses these claims.^[12] On May 15, 2008 United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution recognising the right of all refugees (including victims of reported “ethnic cleansing”) to return to Abkhazia and 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."^[13]

[edit] August 2008

On August 10, 2008, the war in South Ossetia 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.^[14] As a result of this attack, Georgian troops were driven out of Abkhazia entirely.

On August 26, 2008, Russia officially recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.^[15]

[edit] After the war

Relations between Georgia and Abkhazia have remained tense after the war. Georgia has moved to increase Abkhazia's isolation by imposing a sea blockade of Abkhazia. During the opening ceremony of a new building of the Georgian Embassy in Kiev (Ukraine) in November 2009 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili stated that residents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia could also use it's facility's "I would like to assure you, my dear friends, that this is youth home, as well, and here you will always be able to find support and understanding".^[16]

[edit] See also

• 2008 South Ossetia war
• Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
• Sukhumi Massacre
• Politics of Abkhazia
• Russian-Circassian War
• VSS Vintorez (Special silenced sniper rifle used by some Russian troops)
• Spetsnaz, OSNAZ

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Chervonnaia, Svetlana Mikhailovna. Conflict in the Caucasus: Georgia, Abkhazia, and the Russian Shadow. Gothic Image Publications, 1994.
• Andrew Andersen. "Russia Versus Georgia: One Undeclared War in the Caucasus."
• 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
• White Book of Abkhazia. 1992-1993 Documents, Materials, Evidences. Moscow, 1993.
• Heathe Blair, "Ethnic Conflict as a Tool of Outside Influence: An Examination of Abkhazia and Kosovo.", 2007
• Amy McCallion, Abkhazian Separatism

[edit] External links

• Accord issue on the Georgia Abkhazia peace process also includes chronology and key texts & agreements. (English)&(Russian)
• Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia (Russian)
• Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Abkhazians by Georgians (Russian)
• Video file, capture of Zhuili Shartava, Guram Gabiskiria, Raul Eshba, etc and their execution (right-click to open file)
• Interview with Shamil Basayev on Abkhazia
• Historische Hintergründe und politische Motive des abchasischen Separatismus in Georgien, 2005 (de) (PDF-Datei)
• "Abkhazia: An Open Wound in Georgia" by Dr. Andrew Andersen
• Government of Abkhazia (-in-exile)
• Exile Images - Thomas Morley: The forgotten refugees of Abkhazia
• http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_282.shtml#top
• http://www.geocities.com/tato_nikoladze/separatism.html
• http://www.abkhazia-georgia.parliament.ge
• http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/data/gabkhazchro.htm
• The risk of history repeating, The Messenger, August 16, 2006
• Video Interview with Shamil Basaev during the battle for Gagra

v • d • e   Georgian–Abkhazian conflict
Timeline	Abkhazian side	Georgian side
1989 Sukhumi riots 1991 Abkhazian New Union Treaty referendum 1992 - 1993 War in Abkhazia October 1992 Battle of Gagra 1992 - 1993 Siege of Tkvarcheli July 1993 Massacre in Kamani September 1993 Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns September 1993 Massacre in Sukhumi Ethnic cleansing of Georgians 1994 Moscow agreement 1998 War in Abkhazia 2001 Kodori crisis 2006 Kodori crisis 2007 Georgia helicopter attack incident 2007 Georgia plane downing incident 2007 Bokhundjara incident 2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns 2008 Khurcha incident 2008 Abkhazia bombings 2008 Achamkhara incident 2008 South Ossetia War Battle off the coast of Abkhazia Battle of the Kodori Valley	Military forces: Military of Abkhazia Abkhazian Air Force Bagramyan Battalion Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Key leaders: Vladislav Ardzinba Sergei Bagapsh	Military forces: Military of Georgia Military of Georgia Georgian Air Force Georgian Navy Mkhedrioni White Legion Forest Brothers Key leaders: Zhiuli Shartava † Zviad Gamsakhurdia † Eduard Shevardnadze Mikheil Saakashvili