UN observers have been unable to confirm recent allegations of a military build-up in Abkhazia, the UN Secretary General’s spokesperson said in a statement on December 12.

The Georgian authorities have been publicly claiming that Russia was deploying additional military hardware and troops in Abkhazia. Last week, Tbilisi alleged that Russia had sent extra troops to the breakaway region under the pretext of rotating its peacekeepers. Meanwhile, the Abkhaz side has also expressed concern about an alleged Georgian military build-up in the Georgian-controlled upper Kodori Gorge.

The statement by the UN Secretary General’s spokesperson says that Ban Ki-moon has taken note of these allegations. 

However, “the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), which has been conducting daily verifications of these claims, has not been able to corroborate many so far,” the statement reads.
 
Ban also gave his backing to an October 15 Security Council resolution, which “strongly urges all parties to consider and address seriously each other’s legitimate security concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence and provocation, including political action or rhetoric, and to comply fully with previous agreements regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence.”