Georgia: Russian Peacekeeper Buildup in Abkhazia "Illegitimate" -- Official

Georgian officials are denouncing Russia's unilateral action to reinforce its peacekeeping contingent in the separatist territory of Abkhazia, describing Moscow's move is the start of the region's "military annexation." While Russia claims that the additional forces are allowed under an earlier agreement with Georgia, Tbilisi maintains the buildup is "illegal."

On May 1, Georgian television broadcast footage of Russian personnel carriers and other military equipment moving into the southern Abkhaz district of Tkvarcheli. Georgian media sources on the preceding day had reported that Russian peacekeeping forces had crossed the Psou River separating Abkhazia from the Russian Federation.

Russian officials have stated that the fresh deployment will not exceed the limit of 2,500 to 3,000 troops set down by a 1994 agreement with Georgia. On April 29, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it would increase the number of peacekeepers in Abkhazia in response to "provocative acts" by Georgia -- an apparent reference to the shoot-down of a Georgian unmanned reconnaissance plane on April 20. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Georgian authorities, however, maintain they were not officially informed about the increase in peacekeeper troops and have no information about the number of Russian soldiers currently in the conflict zone. In their own statements, Russian officials have provided specifics about the reinforcement.

At a May 1 briefing in Tbilisi, Davit Bakradze, recently named Georgia's presidential envoy on conflict matters, said that his country is "very concerned" about Russia's increased military presence in the Abkhaz conflict zone. The new forces, Bakradze said, cannot be considered peacekeepers since Moscow did not inform Tbilisi about its decision to increase its troop presence.

"In order for a military force to be considered a peacekeeping force, there are certain rules. It should be agreed with the host country," he told EurasiaNet. "If one does not follow those rules