Georgia, Russia at Odds Over South Ossetia

/ 2 Jun.'04 / 18:04
Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia

Tbilisi Pushes Humanitarian Initiatives After Show of Force

Georgian police officers check papers on the
administrative border of breakaway South Ossetia

Tbilisi and Moscow exchanged strongly worded statements after the Georgian central authorities staged a show of force in the Ossetian conflict zone on May 31st, marking rising tensions in the self-styled South Ossetian Republic, which de facto broke away from Georgia in 1992.

Russia warned that Tbilisi’s “provocative steps” might lead “to extremely negative consequences” in the conflict zone. In a statement issued on June 1st, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Georgia’s central government will be held responsible in the event of further deterioration of the situation and “bloodshed” in the region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow’s concerns were triggered by the sending of Georgian troops into the conflict zone. The troops were briefly deployed outside Georgian villages in the conflict zone on May 31st. The Georgian authorities cited, as justification for these actions, the need to protect the Georgian police checkpoints set up in the area to help fight smuggling in the region.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania slammed Russia’s stance in regards to the recent developments in the conflict zone and responded on June 2nd by saying “the issue concerns the territory of Georgia and nobody can prevent the Georgian authorities from establishing order throughout the country.”

Tensions rose after President Saakashvili's
wife was barred from entering South Ossetia

A visit to the breakaway region by The First Lady, Sandra Roelofs, which was marred by the disputes with the rebel authorities of South Ossetia resulting in her being barred from traveling within the region, further heated up tensions.

Georgia’s First Lady, who is herself from Holland, wanted to travel to the Georgian village of Tamarasheni to mark International Children’s Day. However, the road to the village travels through the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed South Ossetian authorities. After Sandra Roelofs motorcade was blocked, she was forced to arrive in the village via helicopter. On her way back, the First Lady tried to return to Tbilisi by road, but was again blocked and again had to resort to helicopter.

“It is alarming that Sandra Roelofs, who intended to arrive in the region with a humanitarian mission, was not permitted to enter the region. The Georgian authorities do not intend to launch a war. But the authorities in Tskhinvali are even afraid of this kind of humanitarian initiative coming from Tbilisi,” Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at a news briefing on June 2nd.

President Saakashvili has already proposed socially-oriented initiatives to the Ossetians, including the distribution of pensions to the local population of South Ossetia direct from Georgia’s state budget, restoration of the railway link with the rest of Georgia, providing the region with humanitarian aid (particularly agricultural fertilizers) and the launching of news services in the Ossetian language to be aired on Georgia’s state television.

But to supplement these humanitarian initiatives, the Georgian government also staged a show of force on May 31st, when a 300-strong, heavily armed unit of Georgian internal troops was sent to the region under the pretext of protecting police checkpoints. The troops were pulled out almost immediately after their deployment, but it was enough to trigger concern in South Ossetia’s de facto authorities.

All these measures, including humanitarian initiatives, are widely seen as part of the Georgian government’s efforts to restore the country’s territorial integrity. The reunification drive of President Saakashvili’s government gained momentum after the return of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara back into Tbilisi’s fold in early May.

The anti-smuggling measures being carried out by the Georgian authorities in the region are also believed to be part of this campaign. Breakaway South Ossetia and other, Georgian, areas adjacent to the region are notorious for the wide-spread trading of smuggled goods from Russia.

“This [smuggling] is one of the main sources of income for the South Ossetia’s de facto authorities. That is why they were so concerned over the setting up of Georgian police checkpoints in the region and over other anti-smuggling measures carried out by us,” President Saakashvili said at a news briefing on May 31st.

“Particular groups, which have definite interests in smuggling, have lost a significant source of income. This in itself is reason for such a severe reaction to the Georgian authorities’ activities,” Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at a news briefing on June 2nd, adding that “in the near future we will manage to restore friendly relations with the Ossetian people.”