Fears over Violence Increase in Abkhazia as Crisis Deepens

With the major governmental offices still under the control of opposition forces, pro-governmental forces in Abkhazia show no signs of compromise. Meanwhile, Tbilisi tries to distance itself from the recent developments in Abkhazia, but warns Moscow to refrain from meddling in the Abkhaz crisis. However, Russia fears that unrest in Abkhazia might spillover into other troubled regions of North Caucasus.

A relatively calm situation in Sokhumi was shattered on November 14 when an unknown armed group attacked the local police station and kidnapped a person, who was being interrogated by the law enforcers as a witness to the murder of a woman during the November 12 unrest, when the opposition captured governmental offices in the capital of the unrecognized republic.

Interfax news agency and Russian NTV television reported that shots were heard during the attack, but no casualties were reported.

A 78-year-old linguist, Tamara Shakril, who reportedly was a respected professor in Sokhumi, died in a hospital from a bullet injury on November 12. Reports say Shakril, who was a supporter of pro-governmental candidate Raul Khajimba, was injured by a ricocheting bullet shot when the opposition was storming the Governmental Office.

The Abkhaz General Prosecutor’s Office has brought criminal charges over the murder case and the capturing of the governmental buildings as well.

Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Sergey Bagapsh, who claims victory in the disputed November 3 presidential elections, still controls the Parliament, President’s Administration and the Governmental Office in Sokhumi.

Russian televisions showed footage of uniformed military opposition supporters patrolling the empty corridors of the major governmental buildings.

Prime Minister of unrecognized republic Nodar Khashba said on November 13 that the government continues to fulfill its duties despite fleeing the governmental office.

Opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh said on November 13 that the crisis should be solved through dialogue and reiterated a readiness to offer his opponent Raul Khajimba, a pro-governmental presidential candidate who also enjoys Moscow’s support, a post in the new government.

Meanwhile, Tbilisi is watching the Abkhaz developments cautiously, especially after the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Abkhaz opposition attempting “to forcefully seize power” and warned that Moscow will “undertake measures in case the situation [in Abkhazia] develops in an illegal way.”

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said that the Georgian side summoned the Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili on November 13 to express protest regarding dispatching units of the Russian peacekeeping forces to the Abkhaz capital of Sokhumi.

Russian peacekeeping troops are deployed at the administrative border between Abkhazia and rest of Georgia under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

“Such acts by the Russian side [redeployment of peacekeepers to Sokhumi] are directed towards the escalation of the situation and can be viewed as an attempt to lead the ongoing developments towards an armed conflict,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry’s statement reads.

Salome Zourabichvili told reporters on November 13, that sending armored vehicles from the Gali district of Abkhazia, which lies in the zone of peacekeepers’ responsibility, to Sokhumi “was also confirmed by UN military observers.”

“The Russian peacekeepers explained this fact as a necessity to boost security of the sanatorium in Sokhumi, where the Russian peacekeepers are deployed. But we think that the Georgian side should have been informed regarding this redeployment in advance,” Salome Zourabichvili added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview to the Russian NTV television on November 14 that Moscow seeks a prompt resolution of the Abkhazian conflict.

When asked whether Moscow recognizes Abkhazia as part of Georgia, Lavrov said, “Russia supports Georgia’s territorial integrity.”

“Setting deadlines of conflict resolution by Georgia is not only impossible, but also counterproductive as well. The South Ossetian-Georgian, as well as the Abkhazian-Georgian conflicts should be solved in frames of existing mechanisms,” Sergey Lavrov added.

Georgian Ambassador to Russia Valery Chechelashvili told Georgian Rustavi 2 television on November 13, that Moscow is really concerned over the developments in Abkhazia.

“Russia fears that unrest in Abkhazia might spillover into other regions of the North Caucasus,” the Georgian Ambassador said