EUMM Confirms 400-meter New Barbed Wire Fences Erected by Occupants
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, November 12
The European Union Monitoring mission has confirmed that the Russia-controlled forces have erected new 400-meter long barbed wire fences in the Georgian controlled village of Atotsi, in the Kareli municipality of eastern Georgia, near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
EUMM says that the barbed wire fences cause tension on the ground and urges for the re-establishment of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings, the local formats addressing Georgian conflict issues.
This year Russia and the representatives of Georgian occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region refused to participate in IPRM meetings as the Georgian parliament approved the list of people who have violated the rights of Georgian citizens in the country’s occupied territories since 1990s.
The people will face sanctions if they appear in Georgia and several foreign countries.
“The EUMM is closely monitoring and reporting on such borderization activities that affect stability as well as the rights of people in the area,” the EUMM reported.
The mission stated that “regrettably, such infrastructure creates additional obstacles for freedom of movement” - and potentially the livelihoods - of the local population living on both sides of the occupation line.
It says that their managed hotline has been used extensively to communicate on the matter during the past days.
The EUMM is the only monitoring mission in Georgia since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, which has not been allowed in the occupied regions by Russia and the de facto leaderships of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
The EUMM is carrying out its mission in the adjacent areas of occupation lines.
The US Embassy has also released a special statement and called upon Russia end its occupation of Georgian lands.
The Russia-controlled troops began the erection of new barbed wire fences on 7 November.
Georgian Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that through the step occupants are isolating the region from the outside world.
The minister says that Russia is not interested in population; it is only interested in territories and own strategic goals.
“80-90 per cent of the population who face serious problems due to the barbed wire fences live in the occupied Tskhinvali region, mainly they are ethnic Ossetians, who need to move freely and are deprived of the right. The barbed wire fences are the proof showing how insignificant human rights and interests are to the occupants,” Tsikhelashvili said.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that the international community has been informed regarding the issue.
