Rabu, 2008 Agustus 27
Secret Abkhazia in Europe
Abkhazia (pronounced /ębˈkeɪʒə/ or /ɑːbˈkɑːziə/ or /ɑːpˈxɑːziə/, Abkhaz: Аҧсны Apsny, Georgian: აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti, Russian: Абха́зия Abhazia) is a de facto independent republic lying on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and bordered by Russia to the north, recognized by the Russian Federation and the de facto independent republics of South Ossetia and Transnistria, in which context it is referred to as the Republic of Abkhazia. The rest of the international community recognizes Abkhazia as an integral part of the territory of the state of Georgia. Under Georgia's official subdivision, it is an autonomous republic (Georgian: აფხაზეთის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა, Abkhaz: Аҧснытәи Автономтәи Республика), with Sukhumi as its capital, bordering the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to the east.
A secessionist movement of the Abkhaz people in the region led to the declaration of independence from Georgia in 1992 and the Georgian-Abkhaz armed conflict from 1992 to 1993 which resulted in the Georgian military defeat and the mass exodus and ethnic cleansing of Georgian population from Abkhazia. In spite of the 1994 ceasefire accord and the ongoing UN-monitored and Russian-dominated CIS peacekeeping operation, the sovereignty dispute has not yet been resolved. This dispute remains a source of serious tension between Georgia and Russia. In July 2006, Georgian forces launched a successful military operation to control the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia. As a consequence of the 2008 South Ossetia War in August 2008, Abkhazian forces in their turn gained control of most of the Kodori Valley forcing Georgian troops out of Abkhazia.
The interpretation above is disputed by many Georgians, especially members of the Georgian armed forces who returned from the 1992-93 war in Abkhazia to say that they had fought directly with Russians wearing Russian uniforms. Subsequently, when the world press began to publish reports of an "Abkhaz air force," it was widely known that the Region of Abkhazia possessed no airplane; that all military equipment, planes and pilots opposing Georgia were Russian.
As a result of the war the Russian Federation has rescinded its recognition of Georgian sovereignty over Abkhazia, diplomatically recognizing the independence of Abkhazia on August 26, 2008. So far, no other member of the United Nations has recognized the republic.
|