Georgian sea blockade of Abkhazia
Encyclopedia
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. As a response to the 2008 South Ossetia war
, Georgia moved to intensify Abkhazia and South Ossetia's isolation, declaring both entities as Russia
n-occupied territories
outlawing economic activity in the regions without Tbilisi’s permission. Several cargo ships have been seized and their crews detained by the Georgian Coast Guard in 2009 on the grounds of violating of Georgia’s law on occupied territories, which bans economic activities with breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia without Georgia’s consent.
in 2009. Abkhaz authorities have called the Georgian actions "piracy
." In mid-August, Georgia seized a Turkish tanker, the Buket, in international waters alleged to be delivering 2,000 metric tons of gasoline and 770 metric tons of diesel to Abkhazia and detained its captain and crew. The ship was taken into Georgian government ownership, and may later be auctioned by the Georgian Ministry of Finance. A Georgian court sentenced the captain of the ship to 24 years in prison for smuggling and unauthorized economic activity with Abkhazia. His sentence was reduced by an appeals court to 3 years in prison and a fine of $30,000 Lari ($18,000 dollars). Georgia announced that it would release the crew, consisting of 12 Turks and 4 Azerbaijanis, on $30,000 bail. The Georgian government released the captain on 8 September.
warned that the Abkhazian naval forces will destroy any Georgian ships engaged in future "pirate actions". Georgia's deputy Prime Minister Temur Yakobashvili shrugged off the Abkhazian threat, saying that Abkhazia has no technical means to destroy ships. "Moreover," Yakobashvili said, "it is not his [Bagapsh's] business. It looks more like a pre-election bluff."
On 30 September, 2009, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba warned that Georgia will be held responsible for any future confrontation in the Black Sea. "All hostilities [in the region] in the past decade have been initiated by Georgia, and only Georgia can provoke a new conflict...Recently they [the Georgians] have been active in the [Black] sea, and Russia, fulfilling its obligations will help us protect our borders."
, said Bagapsh was a criminal and it was up to Georgian law enforcement agencies to respond to his threats. The Georgian authorities said Russia was behind the Abkhaz side’s threat.
Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said, on September 3 2009, further seizure of cargo ships en-route to Abkhazia by Georgian Coast Guard may cause “serious armed incidents” and blamed Georgia for possible escalation. Earlier, Deputy head of Russian Federal Security Service border guard department, Yevgeny Inchin, said on August 28 2009 that a unit of the Russian border guards Coast Guard stationed in Abkhazia would be dispatched to provide security for ships entering Abkhazia. This statement was denounced by Georgia as a violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
. On September 21, 2009, the Russian Coast Guard patrol boat Novorossiysk arrived, as part of an eventual flotilla that could number up to ten vessels, tasked with protecting Abkhazian waters and countering Georgian actions. The Federal Security Service announced that a base for the flotilla would be established in Abkhazia, and that Russian Border Guards would detain anyone caught trying to cross illegally into Abkhazia from Georgia.
.
, Mikhail Barabanov, Abkhazia does indeed have the technical ability to fight Georgia's coast guards because during the 2008 war, Russia destroyed Georgia's largest warships, the Dioskuria and the Tbilisi missile boats. Still, Barabanov pointed out that it is more likely that the Coast Guard of the Russian Federal Security Service would be ordered to curtail Georgia's naval raids. Under a Russian-Abkhazian agreement, Russia is obliged to protect Abkhazia's maritime borders.
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...
has been in force since 2004, when it was ordered to be imposed by Georgian president
President 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...
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...
. However, the then Georgian Navy and current Coast Guard was and has been incapable of enforcing a blockade. As a response to the 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Georgia moved to intensify Abkhazia and South Ossetia's isolation, declaring both entities as 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-occupied territories
Occupied territories
Occupied territory is territory under military occupation. Occupation is a term of art in international law; in accordance with Article 42 of the Laws and Customs of War on Land ; October 18, 1907, territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army...
outlawing economic activity in the regions without Tbilisi’s permission. Several cargo ships have been seized and their crews detained by the Georgian Coast Guard in 2009 on the grounds of violating of Georgia’s law on occupied territories, which bans economic activities with breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia without Georgia’s consent.
Georgian naval raids
Twenty-three cargo ships delivering supplies to Abkhazia have been seized in the Black Sea by the Georgian NavyGeorgian Navy
The Georgian Coast Guard is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection of the entire coastline of Georgia, as well as the Georgian territorial waters...
in 2009. Abkhaz authorities have called the Georgian actions "piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
." In mid-August, Georgia seized a Turkish tanker, the Buket, in international waters alleged to be delivering 2,000 metric tons of gasoline and 770 metric tons of diesel to Abkhazia and detained its captain and crew. The ship was taken into Georgian government ownership, and may later be auctioned by the Georgian Ministry of Finance. A Georgian court sentenced the captain of the ship to 24 years in prison for smuggling and unauthorized economic activity with Abkhazia. His sentence was reduced by an appeals court to 3 years in prison and a fine of $30,000 Lari ($18,000 dollars). Georgia announced that it would release the crew, consisting of 12 Turks and 4 Azerbaijanis, on $30,000 bail. The Georgian government released the captain on 8 September.
Abkhazian reaction
On 2 September, 2009, President of Abkhazia 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...
warned that the Abkhazian naval forces will destroy any Georgian ships engaged in future "pirate actions". Georgia's deputy Prime Minister Temur Yakobashvili shrugged off the Abkhazian threat, saying that Abkhazia has no technical means to destroy ships. "Moreover," Yakobashvili said, "it is not his [Bagapsh's] business. It looks more like a pre-election bluff."
On 30 September, 2009, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba warned that Georgia will be held responsible for any future confrontation in the Black Sea. "All hostilities [in the region] in the past decade have been initiated by Georgia, and only Georgia can provoke a new conflict...Recently they [the Georgians] have been active in the [Black] sea, and Russia, fulfilling its obligations will help us protect our borders."
Azerbaijani reaction
After the seizure of the Turkish ship by Georgian navy, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent an ultimatum to Georgia demanding the immediate release of the Azerbaijani citizens involved.Georgian reaction
The Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol VashadzeGrigol Vashadze
Grigol Vashadze is a Georgian politician, diplomat and a member of the Cabinet of Georgia in the capacity of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia. From 2 November 2008 until 10 December of the same year Vashadze briefly served as the Minister for Culture, Heritage Preservation and Sport...
, said Bagapsh was a criminal and it was up to Georgian law enforcement agencies to respond to his threats. The Georgian authorities said Russia was behind the Abkhaz side’s threat.
Russian reaction
On August 16 a Georgian naval boat seized the Turkish tanker Buket in the neutral waters of the Black Sea. The representative of the Turkish company Densa Tanker Isletmeciligi, owner of the captured tanker Buket, recently told the national press that the ship was detained 96 miles from the Turkish port of Sinop.Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said, on September 3 2009, further seizure of cargo ships en-route to Abkhazia by Georgian Coast Guard may cause “serious armed incidents” and blamed Georgia for possible escalation. Earlier, Deputy head of Russian Federal Security Service border guard department, Yevgeny Inchin, said on August 28 2009 that a unit of the Russian border guards Coast Guard stationed in Abkhazia would be dispatched to provide security for ships entering Abkhazia. This statement was denounced by Georgia as a violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
. On September 21, 2009, the Russian Coast Guard patrol boat Novorossiysk arrived, as part of an eventual flotilla that could number up to ten vessels, tasked with protecting Abkhazian waters and countering Georgian actions. The Federal Security Service announced that a base for the flotilla would be established in Abkhazia, and that Russian Border Guards would detain anyone caught trying to cross illegally into Abkhazia from Georgia.
Turkish Reaction
The Turkish magazine Sunday's Zaman said that the primary purpose of the seizures by Georgian navy is to prevent trade with the separatist region. "Georgia constantly strives to block all trade routes to Abkhazia, an attempt to deprive the breakaway region economically, with Turkish ships suffering most in the Black Sea due to 'Georgian piracy'," the magazine wrote.European Reaction
European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) said on September 2 2009 that it was concerned about the statements by the Georgian, Abkhaz and Russian sides on the matter and the issue was to be included in the agenda of the meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) scheme between the sides planned for September 8 in GaliGali (town)
Gali is a town in Georgia, 77 km southeast to Sukhumi in region Abkhazia. It is the centre of Gali District and was previously in the UN security zone prior to the Russian veto of the UMOMIG Mission in 2009.- References :...
.
Analysts
According to Russian naval analyst and chief editor of Moscow Defense BriefMoscow Defense Brief
Moscow Defense Brief is a bimonthly English-language defense magazine published by Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies , an independent defense think-tank.- Overview :...
, Mikhail Barabanov, Abkhazia does indeed have the technical ability to fight Georgia's coast guards because during the 2008 war, Russia destroyed Georgia's largest warships, the Dioskuria and the Tbilisi missile boats. Still, Barabanov pointed out that it is more likely that the Coast Guard of the Russian Federal Security Service would be ordered to curtail Georgia's naval raids. Under a Russian-Abkhazian agreement, Russia is obliged to protect Abkhazia's maritime borders.