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A DECADE OF STRIFE TAKES TOLL ON ABKHAZIA
A Photo Essay by Aldo Castellani : 8/02/02
Ten years ago this August Georgian government forces moved
into separatist-minded Abkhazia. After more than a year of
bitter conflict, Abkhaz forces succeeded in expelling Georgian
troops, thus gaining de facto independence. Since 1993 an
uneasy truce has existed as Abkhaz and Georgian leaders have
wrangled unsuccessfully over a political settlement. As a
result, Abkhazia remains a region marked by strife.
Renewed hostilities in Abkhazia now appear to be a very real
possibility. And if fighting re-ignites, Russian troops may
get involved. Abkhaz leaders have for several months accused
Georgia of trying to provoke a resumption of warfare. They
say Georgian government border guards and Tbilisi-sponsored
partisan bands continue to operate in the Kodori Gorge sector
in violation of an April agreement, under which Georgian officials
agreed to a troop withdrawal. The upper Kodori Gorge is the
only part of Abkhazia that remains under Tbilisi's control.
"Georgian armed bands have recently been attempting
to enter territories controlled by Abkhaz authorities,"
the Interfax news agency quoted Raul Khajimba, a top defense
official in the Abkhaz leadership, as saying August 1. "Georgian
border guards, who are located in the upper part of the Kodori
Gorge, and their artillery, are the main destabilizing factor
in the region."
Georgian officials deny any intention of renewing military
operations against Abkhazia. At the same time, Tbilisi maintains
that it cannot be responsible for the armed actions of partisan
bands, which are primarily made up of ethnic Georgians displaced
by earlier fighting in Abkhazia.
Meanwhile, Georgia has accused Moscow of dispatching additional
military units and Cossack volunteers to Abkhazia to reinforce
Russian peacekeepers already in the region. The Russian Defense
Ministry has denied sending any reinforcements to Russia.
Georgia and Russia have long been at odds over the actions
of Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia. Of late, Russia has also
assailed Georgia for not taking action to prevent Chechen
rebels from using Georgian territories to launch raids into
the separatist Russian province. Abkhaz leaders have claimed
that Chechen rebels have been operating in the Kodori Gorge.
In late July, Georgian military personnel spotted a Russian
military unit deploying in the Kodori Gorge. A confrontation
loomed, but the crisis was defused when Georgian Defense Minister
David Tevzadze flew to the Kodori Gorge, and following direct
talks, convinced the Russian troops to withdraw.
Photographer Aldo Castellani recently spent time in Abkhazia,
including in the regional capital, Sukhumi. He spent his time
documenting daily life in contemporary Abkhazia. A selection
of his photos comprises this EurasiaNet photo essay.
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Posted August 2, 2002 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org
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