Georgian-Abkhaz conflict
Encyclopedia
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 dissolution of the Soviet Union
.
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. 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. 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). UN Security Council passed series of resolutions in which is appeals for a cease-fire.
Manifestations demanding secession from the Georgian SSR and inclusion into the RSFSR are reported to have taken place in April 1957, April 1967 and — especially vigorously — in May and September 1978
. In 1978, 130 representatives of the Abkhaz intelligentia signed a letter to the Soviet leadership, protesting against what they saw as Georgianization of Abkhazia.
on one side and Russian-backed separatist forces made of ethnic Abkhazian
s, 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 Russia
n forces stationed in Gudauta
. The conflict resulted in an agreement in Sochi
to cease hostilities, however, this would not last.
, 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.
promised not to use force and to resolve the problem only by diplomacy and political talks.
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. Georgia also decries the unlimited issuing of Russian passports in Abkhazia with subsequent payment of retirement
pension
s and other monetary benefits by Russia, which Georgia considers to be economic support of separatists by the Russian government.
In May 2006 the Coordinating Council of Georgia’s Government and Abkhaz separatists was convened for the first time since 2001. 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
.
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. 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."
said that his troops had launched a major "military operation" to force Georgian troops out of the Kodori Gorge, which they still controlled. 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.
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 its facilities "I would like to assure you, my dear friends, that this is your home, as well, and here you will always be able to find support and understanding".
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
and Abkhazians in Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, 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
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
conflict in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
region, intensified at the end of the 20th century in conjunction with the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
.
The conflict, one of the bloodiest in the post-Soviet area, remains unresolved. The Georgian government offered large autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
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
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
’s government of the initiation of senseless hostilities, and then of ineffective conduct of the war and post-war diplomacy. During the war, the Abkhaz separatist side carried out full scale ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Massacres of Georgians in Abkhazia and Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia — refers to ethnic cleansing, massacres and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict...
campaign which resulted in the expulsion of up to 250,000 ethnic Georgians and more than 15,000 killed. The ethnic cleansing of Georgians has been recognized officially by the OSCE conventions of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(also mentioned in UN General Assembly Resolution GA/10708). UN Security Council passed series of resolutions in which is appeals for a cease-fire.
Soviet era
In the Soviet era Abkhazia was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Abkhazian ASSR), an entity within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR)Manifestations demanding secession from the Georgian SSR and inclusion into the RSFSR are reported to have taken place in April 1957, April 1967 and — especially vigorously — in May and September 1978
. In 1978, 130 representatives of the Abkhaz intelligentia signed a letter to the Soviet leadership, protesting against what they saw as Georgianization of Abkhazia.
War in Abkhazia
The conflict involved a 13-month long War in Abkhazia, beginning in August 1992, with Georgian government forces and militia made of ethnic Georgians who lived in AbkhaziaAbkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
on one side and Russian-backed separatist forces made of ethnic Abkhazian
Abkhaz people
The Abkhaz or Abkhazians are a Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. A large Abkhazian diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the emigration from the Caucasus in the late 19th century known as Muhajirism...
s, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
and Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
who also lived in Abkhazia on the other side. The separatists were supported by the North Caucasian and Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
militants and (unofficially) by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n forces stationed in Gudauta
Gudauta
Gudauta is a town in Abkhazia and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia....
. The conflict resulted in an agreement in Sochi
Sochi agreement
The Sochi agreement was a ceasefire agreement ostensibly marking the end of the both the Georgian–Ossetian and Georgian–Abkhazian conflicts, signed in Sochi on June 24, 1992 between Georgia and South Ossetia, the ceasefire with Abkhazia on...
to cease hostilities, however, this would not last.
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 GeorgiaPresident of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
, refused to deploy troops against Abkhazia. A ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
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
Kodori Valley
The Kodori Valley is a river valley in Abkhazia, Georgia's breakaway autonomous republic. The valley's upper part, populated by Svans, was the only corner of the post-1993 Abkhazia, directly controlled by the central Georgian government, which officially styles the area as Upper Abkhazia...
in extremely controversial conditions. The Chechen-Georgian paramilitaries advanced as far as Sukhumi, but finally were repelled by Abkhaz and Gudauta based Russian peacekeepers.
Saakashvili era
The new Georgian government of President Mikheil SaakashviliMikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
promised not to use force and to resolve the problem only by diplomacy and political talks.
While at a CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
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. Georgia also decries the unlimited issuing of Russian passports in Abkhazia with subsequent payment of retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
s and other monetary benefits by Russia, which Georgia considers to be economic support of separatists by the Russian government.
In May 2006 the Coordinating Council of Georgia’s Government and Abkhaz separatists was convened for the first time since 2001. In late July the 2006 Kodori crisis
2006 Kodori crisis
The 2006 Kodori crisis erupted in late July 2006 in Abkhazia's Kodori Gorge, when a local militia leader declared his opposition to the Government of Georgia, which sent police forces to disarm the rebels...
erupted, resulting in the establishment of the de jure Government of Abkhazia
Government of Abkhazia-in-exile
The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is an administration recognized by Georgia as the legal government-in-exile of Abkhazia. Abkhazia that has been de facto independent of Georgia though with very little international recognition since the early 1990s...
in Kodori
Kodori Valley
The Kodori Valley is a river valley in Abkhazia, Georgia's breakaway autonomous republic. The valley's upper part, populated by Svans, was the only corner of the post-1993 Abkhazia, directly controlled by the central Georgian government, which officially styles the area as Upper Abkhazia...
. For the first time after the war, this government is located in Abkhazia, and is headed by Malkhaz Akishbaia
Malkhaz Akishbaia
Malkhaz Akishbaia is an Abkhaz politician and the Chairman of Council of Ministers of the de jure Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia from March 2006 to June 2009....
, Temur Mzhavia
Temur Mzhavia
Temur Mzhavia was the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the de jure Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, he left the position in 2009.- References :...
and Ada Marshania
Ada Marshania
Ada Marshania is an ethnic Abkhaz and the Deputy of Supreme Council of the de jure Government of Abkhazia in exile since July 2006. She was formerly a member of the Parliament of Georgia.-References:...
.
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. On May 15, 2008 United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
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."
August 2008
On August 10, 2008, the 2008 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 BagapshSergei Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was the second President of the Republic of Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and was later elected as President in 2005. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election...
said that his troops had launched a major "military operation" to force Georgian troops out of the Kodori Gorge, which they still controlled. 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.
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 blockadeGeorgian sea blockade of Abkhazia
The Georgian sea blockade of Abkhazia has been in force since 2004, when it was ordered to be imposed by Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. However, the then Georgian Navy and current Coast Guard was and has been incapable of enforcing a blockade...
of Abkhazia. During the opening ceremony of a new building of the Georgian Embassy in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) in November 2009 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
stated that residents of South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
and Abkhazia could also use its facilities "I would like to assure you, my dear friends, that this is your home, as well, and here you will always be able to find support and understanding".
See also
- Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in AbkhaziaEthnic cleansing of Georgians in AbkhaziaThe Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Massacres of Georgians in Abkhazia and Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia — refers to ethnic cleansing, massacres and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict...
- Sukhumi MassacreSukhumi MassacreThe Sukhumi massacre took place on September 27, 1993, during and after the fall of Sukhumi into separatist hands in the course of the War in Abkhazia. It was perpetrated against Georgian civilians of Sukhumi, mainly by militia forces of Abkhaz separatists, their North Caucasian and Russian allies...
- Politics of AbkhaziaPolitics of AbkhaziaPolitics in Abkhazia is dominated by its conflict with Georgia. Abkhazia became de facto independent from Georgia after the 1992-1993 war, but its de jure independence has only been recognised by a few other countries. Abkhazia is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party...
- Russian-Circassian WarRussian-Circassian WarThe Russian–Circassian War refers to a series of battles and wars in Circassia, the northwestern part of the Caucasus, which were part of the Russian Empire's conquest of the Caucasus lasting approximately 150 years, starting under the reign of Tsar Peter the Great and being completed in 1864...
Further Reading
- Andersen, Andrew. "Russia Versus Georgia: One Undeclared War in the Caucasus."
- Blair, Heather "Ethnic Conflict as a Tool of Outside Influence: An Examination of Abkhazia and Kosovo.", 2007
- Chervonnaia, Svetlana Mikhailovna. Conflict in the Caucasus: Georgia, Abkhazia, and the Russian Shadow. Gothic Image Publications, 1994.
- Goltz, ThomasThomas GoltzThomas Goltz is an American author and journalist best known for his accounts of conflict in the Caucasus region during the 1990s.Goltz was born in Japan, raised in North Dakota and graduated from New York University with an MA in Middle East studies. He has worked in and around Turkey and the...
. "Georgia Diary: A Chronicle of War and Political Chaos in the Post-Soviet Caucasus".M.E. Sharpe (2006). ISBN 0-756-1710-2 - 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
- Accord issue on the Georgia Abkhazia peace process also includes chronology and key texts & agreements. &
- Absence of Will (2009) Documentary by Mamuka Kuparadze about the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian conflict including footage of 1990s
- Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
- Documented accounts of ethnic cleansing of Abkhazians by Georgians
- 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://web.archive.org/web/20091022131730/http://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
- Why I Apologize To Abkhaz People by Ucha Nanuashvili, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center