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Abkhazia

Abkhazia was a separate Soviet republic from 1921 until 1930, when it was incorporated into Georgia as an autonomous republic, the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Abkhazian ASSR; after Georgian independence, the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic). The distribution of territory and the past policies of tsarist and Soviet rule meant that in 1989 the Abkhaz made up only 17.8 percent of the population of the autonomous republic named for them (compared with 44 percent Georgians and 16 percent Russians).

For two centuries, the Abkhaz had viewed Russia as a protector of their interests against the Georgians, and tensions in Abkhazia led to open warfare on a much larger scale than in South Ossetia. In July 1992, the Abkhazian Supreme Soviet voted to return to the 1925 constitution under which Abkhazia was separate from Georgia. In August 1992, a force of the Georgian National Guard was sent to the Abkhazian capital of Sukhumi with orders to protect Georgian rail and road supply lines, and to secure the border with Russia. When Abkhazian authorities reacted to this transgression of their self-proclaimed sovereignty, hundreds were killed in fighting between Abkhazian and Georgian forces, and large numbers of refugees fled across the border into Russia or into other parts of Georgia. In September 1993 Abkhazian forces besieged and captured Sukhumi and drove the remaining Georgian forces out of Abkhazia.

Russia was actively involved in Abkhazia's secession, helping the separatists with fuel supplies, arms shipments, and direct military support. Moscow's intervention eventually resulted in the small, poorly trained Abkhaz forces driving the Georgian army beyond the Inguri River that separates the region from the rest of the country.

Once the Abkhaz separatists won control of Abkhazia, and most ethnic Georgians -- a large plurality of the population -- were expelled or fled the region. In 1994 Russian peacekeeping forces representing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) deployed in the conflict area with the agreement of the Georgian Government and the Abkhaz separatists. These CIS peacekeeping forces patrolling the line separating Abkhazia from the rest of Georgia are monitored by UN Military Observers. Despite the presence of peacekeepers, there has been only very limited repatriation of ethnic Georgian refugees, apart from about 53,000 spontaneous returnees to the Gali region of Abkhazia. However, in May 1998 fighting broke out again in Gali, resulting in at least 239 casualties. Abkhaz forces burned an estimated 50 percent of houses in some areas, and 40,000 residents of Gali fled their homes.

Political killings continue by elements on either side of the separatist conflict in Abkhazia, including by partisan groups and by Abkhaz separatists. The the White Legion and Forest Brothers partisan groups in the past have received government support and training. However, the Government claims that it can no longer control the partisans. These killings and other abuses on either side are not being investigated, prosecuted, or punished.

Russian peacekeepers, under the authority of the Commonwealth of Independent States, are stationed in Abkhazia, along with UN observers. Their activities are hampered by land mines and guerrilla activity. Years of negotiations have not resulted in movement toward a settlement. Working with France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia and through the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United States continues to encourage a comprehensive settlement consistent with Georgian independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The UN observer force and other organizations continue to encourage grassroots cooperative and confidence-building measures in the region.