27 years since the war in Abkhazia

27 years have passed since the armed conflict broke out in Abkhazia.

A military confrontation began in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia on August 14, 1992. According to the official information, the State Council of Georgia sent government forces in agreement with Vladislav Ardzinba, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, to protect the Sochi-Ingiri section of the railway from frequent robberies.

Georgian National Guard and Police were met with armed resistance in the Ochamchire and Gulripshi districts from the Abkhazian Guard, which was followed by hostilities. The entry of Georgian government forces into the Abkhazian region was preceded by the declaration of so-called independence by the local separatists. The Russian army got involved in the fighting to support the Abkhaz formations.

The War in Abkhazia, which lasted for 13 months and 13 days, according to different sources, resulted in the death of 10 to 30 thousand military and civilians. 300 thousand people became refugees or internally displaced. The war ended on September 27, 1993 with the Abkhaz capture of Sokhumi, the capital of Abkhazia.

Significant human rights violations and atrocities were reported on all sides, which, according to the OSCE, was followed by a large-scale campaign of ethnic cleansing against the ethnic Georgian population. A fact-finding mission dispatched by the UN Secretary-General in October 1993 reported numerous and severe human rights violations committed both by Abkhazians and by Georgians.

Today, Abkhazia is occupied by Russia. In 2008, Moscow recognized the so-called independence of the Georgian region.

To commemorate the start of the war, family members of those killed in the war gathered at the memorial of the soldiers who died for the territorial integrity of Georgia.

Members of the Government of Georgia, as well as the members of the Government and Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, paid tribute to the fallen heroes.

“Today, we pay tribute to the memory of the heroes. Here see mother and fathers dressed in black, who have endured pain for 27 years, but they have something to be proud of, as their children have sacrificed their lives for their homeland. Year by year, one thing becomes more clear – the situation that was created by the conflict doesn’t suit any of us. A different force is taking advantage of this. Therefore, dialogue, communication and talking about the future has no alternative,” said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, who paid tribute to the memory of the soldiers.

The Head of the Government of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze also made comments on the 27th anniversary of the Abkhaz War and noted that August 14 is the most painful day in the recent history of Georgia, as it is a huge pain for each citizen of the country.

“Georgians and Abkhazians have common roots, and our future should also be common. It was a war that involved killings of brothers by brothers. It is a common pain, which should be overcome with a shared effort. I am confident that we will succeed in uniting our country and creating a state of common success through peace and development. There is no alternative to peace and development,” concluded the Prime Minister of Georgia.

Minister of Defense of Georgia Levan Izoria also paid tribute to the fallen heroes and said that there’s no alternative to peaceful conflict resolution.

“The peaceful resolution of the conflict has no alternative. This is a firm principle of our policy, which we will continue, with the support of the international community, until we reach our final goal of protecting the sovereignty and restoring the territorial integrity of our country,” said Izoria.

Abkhazia is the extreme southwestern historical province of Georgia. The area of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia covers 8.7 thousand square kilometers and represents 12.5 % of the territory of Georgia.

On August 26, 2008, the Russian authorities completed the full annexation of Abkhazia and officially recognized the “independence” of the Abkhazian state. However, in reality, it is an appropriation of the territory of Abkhazia, where numerous Russian military units are controlling the political situation. In spite of the efforts of imperial Russian forces, the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is a legitimate, integral part of Georgia, as recognized by the international community.