Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia

United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia ^ | 23 July 2008 | United Nations

[plenipotentiary]

8. While negotiations between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides remained stalemated, a combination of developments brought about a dangerous dynamic in the situation around Abkhazia, Georgia. One month after the decision of the Russian Federation to withdraw from the 1996 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) restrictions on Abkhazia, Georgia (see S/2008/219, para. 14), on 16 April the President of the Russian Federation issued an instruction authorizing direct relations with the Abkhaz and South Ossetian de facto authorities in a number of fields. The Russian Federation stated that the decision was aimed at supporting Russian citizens and the local population and responded to what it called Georgia’s aggressive intentions.

9. The Georgian side protested strongly what it considered a blatant violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, amounting to legalizing a factual annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It demanded the immediate revocation of both the March decision to withdraw from the 1996 CIS sanctions and the April instruction. With regard to its opposition to the April decree, Georgia received unequivocal support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

10. On 29 April, citing the possibility of an impending deterioration in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the Russian Federation reinforced the Russian-manned CIS peacekeeping force with a 525-strong airborne battalion stationed in the restricted weapons zone. UNOMIG established regular patrolling in the areas where that battalion was deployed. At the end of May, referring to the presidential decision on the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Abkhaz side, the Government of the Russian Federation also introduced a military railways unit to rehabilitate the railways south of Sukhumi, outside the area of responsibility of UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force.

[plenipotentiary]

The Russians have been working towards achieving this crisis. Also note the Russians issue Passports to whoever they want, even to foreign nationals. Then, they say it is their law to protect by force their passport holders anywhere in the world. This is Annexation/Imperialist/Colonisation by issue of documents.

[coalman]

its obvious,this has been planned long before it happened,instigated by putin,,sadly the anti-georgia/anti-american propaganda is flying high and wide to make the innocent seem guilty

[MarMema]

Yes, more is here from the 8th

"In May and June the Russian generals were seriously planning the start of military operations in the Kodori Gorge. Militants needed a new war in order to stay on top of military processes, and wanted something similar to the Chechen campaign with absolutely identical goals. When this Blitzkrieg was ruined in Kodori, shots started in Tskhinvali. It is noteworthy that Kokoity found himself in Sokhumi when the shooting began, right next to the very generals that were interested in starting a war. A new Caucasian war means new banknotes from the Kremlin, and Tskhinvali and South Ossetia are ideal places for generals to launder their war budgets. The joint enterprise between Kokoity and the Russian FBI is ready and willing to consume this money allotted against Saakashvili and NATO. Obviously, everything comes back to finances in the end."

[plenipotentiary]

Yes.