Kodori Remains Under Georgian Control

Still Confrontation After 10 Years

After the intensive negotiations with the Abkhaz side, Georgian State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze announced on August 14, that the Abkhaz fighters are leaving Kodori gorge, the only territory in breakaway Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian side. The recent conflict in Kodori coincided with the 10-year anniversary of launching military operations in Abkhazia.

At the government’s meeting Jorbenadze said that the situation in Kodori is under control and there is no threat of losing the only Georgian enclave in breakaway province. Georgian State Minister’s statement followed phone talk with Abkhaz de facto Prime Minister Anri Jergenia on August 14.

Jorbenadze said that the local residents of Kodori, up to 400 armed men, were ready to defend the gorge and not let the Abkhaz side to take over the strategic area. Incursion of Abkhaz fighters in Kodori was followed with the armed clashes between the conflicting parties on August 13, causing no casualties.

The tensions in Kodori escalated after the Abkhaz fighters launched to set up fortifications in upper Kodori gorge. According to Georgian Defense Minister Abkhaz side started to prepare for the move a month ago.

At the moment only problem that remains after the recent developments is the mines left by the Abkhaz fighters after their withdrawal. According to Avtandil Jorbenadze mine-clearing operations in the gorge will be carried out together with the Abkhaz side under the UNOMIG (UN mission in Georgia) observation. President Shevardnadze expressed satisfaction with the activation of talks with the Abkhaz side and said that the negotiations should be continued, as there is no alternative to the peaceful way of the conflict resolution.

In Tbilisi many feared that the recent tensions and armed clashes could grew into large scale military confrontation, as it happened exactly 10 years ago on August 14, 1992, when the Georgian troops entered the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic to defend railways and highways. This was the official reason of dispatching troops to the Autonomous Republic. Eduard Shevardnadze was the Head of the State of Georgia by that time.

Opinions in Georgia are still divided concerning this decision. Many think that dispatching troops in region was a mistake, that led to losing Abkhazia, while others believe that it was the only way to maintain control over the region, as the Abkhaz local authorities had already declared independence by that time.

After year of war, in 1993 Abkhaz separatists, backed by Russian forces, succeeded in driving the Georgian army out of the region. Since then Georgian and its breakaway province have been in a state of suspended conflict.

Mountainous Kodori gorge in the center of Abkhazia still remains the only territory of the region, under Georgian government’s control. In recent years this Georgian enclave becomes the reason of tensions very often, because of its strategic importance – the gorge is the adjacent area of Sukhumi, breakaway Abkhazian capital.

After 10 years of confrontation Georgians and Abkhazians are still far from progress in resolution of the conflict. The Georgian authorities hopes mainly depend on the document on distribution of the competencies between Sukhumi (capital of breakaway Abkhazia) and Tbilisi, elaborated by Dieter Boden, the UN Secretary-General’s former special envoy to Georgia.

Details of the document remain confidential. Georgian side hails the paper’s provisions as they consider Abkhazia within the Georgia state. Abkhaz side refuses to discuss the document. Georgia hopes Sukhumi will have to agree on talks over this document in case of international pressure on separatists. But many experts and politicians in Tbilisi believe that the main problem that impedes Abkhazian resolution is Moscow, which backs up Abkhaz separatists. 
           
By Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia