Source:

RFE/RL: Trouble Brewing in South Ossetia [ID 5828]

Source:

IWPR: South Ossetia: Peacekeepers Honoured For Mission Success [ID 5829]

04.08.2008 - Source: EurasiaNet

Flaring tensions between Georgia and South Ossetia after armed clashes in breakaway region ("Tensions Flare Over Breakaway South Ossetia") [ID 24198]

Document(s): Open document

03.08.2008 - Source: ReliefWeb

Hundreds of women and children fled to neighbouring Russia after fresh clashes ("Hundreds flee clashes in breakaway Georgia province"), Autor: Reuters Foundation [ID 24194]

Document(s): Open document

03.08.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

Situation reported to be "relatively quiet", but tensions remain high after recent clashes ("‘Relatively Quiet’ but Tensions Remain High in S.Ossetia") [ID 24197]

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2008 - Source: BBC News

Separatists accuse government of killing 6 people in a border attack ("Georgia accused of lethal attack") [ID 24186]

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31.07.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

Interior minister Mindzaev confirmed that authorities are installing military fortifications; it is understood that this is a violation of former agreements with Georgia but the move comes in response to similar moves on the Georgian side ("S.Ossetia Confirms Setting Up Military Fortifications") [ID 24091]

Document(s): Open document

24.07.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

A Georgian man is released on 24 July 2008, 4 days after his arrest; he was was arrested on suspicion of a murder he allegedly committed during the armed conflict in the early 1990s ("S.Ossetia Releases Georgian Man") [ID 24087]

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22.07.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian authorities release two residents of South Ossetia on 22 July 2008 who were arrested along with 2 others on charges of illegal arms and drug possession; the 2 others remain in custody ("Tbilisi Confirms Release of Two S.Ossetians") [ID 24086]

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21.07.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian police arrested 4 South Ossetians en route from Gori to Tskhinvali; they will be charged with illegal possession of arms and drugs; authorities in breakaway South Ossetia said that the arrests were linked with the earlier detention of a Georgian man by the South Ossetian militia ("Georgian Police Confirms Arrest of Four S.Ossetians") [ID 23968]

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08.07.2008 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

4 Georgian soldiers detained by Russia-backed separatists ("Four Georgian Soldiers Being Held In South Ossetia") [ID 23706]

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17.03.2008 - Source: ReliefWeb

Georgian president refuses to rule out force against separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia ("Georgian leader refuses to rule out force against separatists"), Autor: Agence France-Presse [ID 22569]

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29.02.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

North and South Ossetia: a man allegedly recruited by Georgian special services to carry out terrorist acts in breakaway South Ossetia has been arrested in the Russian region of North Ossetia ("Russian Reports: ‘Georgian Spy’ Arrested in North Ossetia") [ID 22454]

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28.02.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

South ossetian interior minister Mindzaev accuses Georgian special services of being responsible for a bomb blast that killed two militiamen and wounded two others ("Tskhinvali Accuses Tbilisi of ‘Terrorist Act’") [ID 22452]

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25.02.2008 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetian and Abkhaz officials said on 25 February 2008 that they would not allow Russia and Georgia to set up joint border-crossing points on their borders with Russia ("Sokhumi, Tskhinvali against Joint Russo-Georgian Border Control") [ID 22442]

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03.10.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

No progress in solving Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts; EU has no plans of sending peacekeepers ("No Progress in Georgia Conflict Resolution – EU Envoy Says") [ID 21310]

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18.09.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Interior Ministry says it arrested two Georgian citizens suspected of spying for secessionist South Ossetia; only if they start "cooperating with Georgian secret services", their punishment will be "mitigated" ("Tbilisi Claims Two ‘Ossetian Spies’ Arrested") [ID 21172]

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07.09.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

One man injured in Tskhinvali bomb blast; authorities of breakaway region suspect Georgian authorities of being involved ("S.Ossetian Report: Man Injured in Tskhinvali Blast") [ID 21164]

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07.09.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian authorities say Tskhinvali bomb blast was provocation staged by secessionist authorities ("Tbilisi Says Blast in Tskhinvali a Provocation") [ID 21165]

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04.09.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

According to the state minister for conflict resolution issues Spain will send experts in order to define South Ossetia's autonomous status; Georgia has called to its western partners and the EU to participate in the process of defining the status ("State Minister: Spain to Provide Expertise on S.Ossetia Status") [ID 21118]

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13.07.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Chief negotiators on conflict from Russia, South Ossetia and North Ossetia meet in breakaway region’s capital; Georgia refuses to attend ("Tbilisi Boycotts JCC in Tskhinvali") [ID 20636]

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02.07.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Secessionist leader Eduard Kokoity said he had ordered his forces to show "maximum restraint" and not to respond to Tbilisi’s "provocative actions"; his comments follow a series of shootouts in the conflict zone in recent days, which left 4 Georgians and at least 2 Ossetians injured; one South Ossetian militiaman was killed ("Kokoity Urges Restraint") [ID 20625]

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29.06.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Resident of South Ossetia seriously injured and a home destroyed in a grenade attack; separatists blame Georgian forces ("Ossetian Separatists Accuse Georgia Of Attack") [ID 20396]

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28.06.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Tensions flare; separatists accuse Georgian forces of shelling a village; gunfire reported in various parts of the region ("Caucasus: Tensions flare in breakaway Georgian region"), Autor: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [ID 20393]

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25.06.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Article on provisional administration under Dmitri Sanakoyev, a former separatist militia leader who was appointed by Georgian president Saakashvili in May 2007 ("Georgia striving to promote "alternative" South Ossetian leader"), Autor: EurasiaNet [ID 20391]

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22.06.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

An agreement allowing Russia economic investment in the conflict zone has been annulled by the Georgian president; the agreement also covered cooperation on the return of refugees ("Tbilisi Annuls Treaty on S.Ossetia") [ID 20389]

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19.06.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

President Mikheil Saakashvili has warned separatists that their time "is coming to an end" ("Saakashvili Says South Ossetia Issue Could Be Resolved") [ID 20304]

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15.06.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Secessionist negotiators call for participation of law enforcement agencies from all sides of conflict to defuse tensions in region ("Tskhinvali Calls for JCC Session ‘to Defuse Tensions’") [ID 20316]

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07.06.2007 - Source: International Crisis Group

Report on current situation (competing governments, stalled negotiations, security, economic rehabilitation) ("Georgia's South Ossetia Conflict: Make Haste Slowly") [ID 20292]

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05.06.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian Interior Ministry warns it would undertake “appropriate measures” if South Ossetian militias refused to release five Georgians ("Tbilisi Warns Tskhinvali to Release ‘Hostages’") [ID 20226]

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03.06.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Water crisis remains sources for tensions; authorities claim that Tbilisi is preventing Ossetian workers from repairing the damaged pipeline ("Water Crisis Remains Source for S.Ossetia Tensions") [ID 20227]

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20.05.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Intensive exchange of fire involving mortars and grenade launchers erupted in conflict zone ("‘Intensive Shootout’ Reported in S.Ossetia") [ID 20126]

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14.05.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli has blamed South Ossetian separatist leaders for recent violence in the breakaway region ("Georgian Prime Minister Blames Separatists For Violence") [ID 19905]

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14.05.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli has blamed South Ossetian separatist leaders for recent violence in the breakaway region ("Georgian Prime Minister Blames Separatists For Violence") [ID 20127]

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28.04.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian authorities decide to resume unilateral demilitarisation of conflict zone, envisaging destruction of fortifications on territories controlled by Georgian side ("Tbilisi Resumes Unilateral Demilitarization in S. Ossetia") [ID 19826]

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24.04.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Opposition members call for temporary moratorium on ongoing reforms in conflict zone till administrative unit is established; parliament admits "lack of coordination" but insists on continuation of reforms ("Opposition Calls for Moratorium on Reforms in South Ossetia") [ID 19829]

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23.04.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Starting from May 1 2007, Georgian authorities will take steps towards creating provisional administrative unit; President Saakashvili offers cooperation with "all parties" ("Saakashvili Offers Cooperation within New Administration of South Ossetia") [ID 19907]

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13.04.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Parliament condemns creation of provisional administrative unit; calls it illegal, says Georgia tries to "legitimise puppet entities" and warns of eruptions of violence ("Tskhinvali Condemns Creation of South Ossetian Administration") [ID 19531]

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13.04.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Parliament condemns creation of provisional administrative unit; calls it illegal, says Georgia tries to "legitimise puppet entities" and warns of eruptions of violence ("Tskhinvali Condemns Creation of South Ossetian Administration") [ID 19531]

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01.02.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Rival leader Sanakoyev sees future of South Ossetia within Georgia; world community will never allow independence, but special status within Georgia might be a solution, he says ("South Ossetia's Other President") [ID 18555]

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01.02.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

South Ossetia: Rival leader Sanakoyev sees future of South Ossetia within Georgia; world community will never allow independence, but special status within Georgia might be a solution, he says ("South Ossetia's Other President") [ID 18730]

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13.10.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Joint Control Commission talks over South Ossetia failed ("JCC Talks over S.Ossetia Failed ") [ID 17925]

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10.2006 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Ossetians arrested and placed in Gori prison on 27 May claimed beatings; Ombudsman submitted case to Prosecutor General for investigation ("Note: Situation of Human Rights in Georgia") [ID 18209]

"Georgian law enforcers detained on 27 of May, 2006, dozens of Ossetian citizens (48 according to the information of the Ossetian side and 41 according to the Georgian side) and placed them in Gori Police Division. The Ossetian citizens were detained in different places: near the village of Eredvi in Liakhvi Gorge, in other villages of the same gorge, near the village of Kekhvi etc. Two of the detainees (citizens of Russia) are still held in detention. Georgian law enforcers checked their identity documents. 12 of these people were reportedly badly treated. On May, 31, 2006, Mr. Sozar Subari met with five beaten detainees; Felix Tuaev, Eduard Tedeev, Mairbeg Gagiev, Pavlik Doguzov and Ruslan Kusraev. According to the victims, they had no connections whatsoever with any kind of paramilitary groups. No charges have been presented against them. All five detainees claimed that the local police officers did no participate in their detention, but only members of the special units in masks and uniforms. All five detainees described the methods of beating. They were forced to kneel, were undressed. The law enforcers beat them, punched them and kicked them, they also had a big book and the two men used to the book to hit the detainees on their heads. Due to this, they damaged the helix and an eye of one of the detainees. Besides, the law enforcers used empty plastic bottles and a wet towel knotted on one side to hit the detainees and broke the head of Eduard Tedaev with a pistol. Besides, the law enforcers were swearing at the detainees. According to the detainees, they beat for approximately 30 minutes to an hour. The detainees were forced to “confess” that they were militants or to name those militants, whom they knew: their friends, neighbours, etc. The members of the Special Units requested the detainees to work for them and to provide information about military units and equipment in Tskhinvali town. Georgia's Ombudsman, Mr. Sozar Subari stated that the incident, which took place in Gori Police Division, is unambiguously a case of torture committed by the Georgian law enforcers and required an investigation. Mr. Sozar Subari considered that not only the instigators, but also planners and people in charge of the operation should be punished. On May 31, 2006, Georgia's Ombudsman submitted all gathered materials to the Office of Prosecutor General of Georgia for further investigation."

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30.09.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Parliamentary Chairpersons of breakaway Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdnestria set up parliamentary assembly based in Moscow ("Secessionist Set up Parliamentary Assembly Based in Moscow") [ID 17488]

"The Parliamentary Chairpersons of breakaway Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdnestria signed an agreement in Sokhumi envisaging the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly with the headquarters in Moscow, Apsnipress news agency reported on September 30.
 
The report says that the Parliamentary Assembly will work on political, social-economic and humanitarian issues, while the three leaders will act in compliance with the principles envisaged by the Declaration on Cooperation, which was signed by the three secessionist leaders in Sokhumi on June 14."

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11.09.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

South Ossetia to hold referendum on independence on 12 November, expected to fuel tensions between Russia and Georgia ("Georgian rebel region to vote on independence"), Autor: Reuters Foundation [ID 17199]

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08.09.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Attack on Georgian helicopter by South Ossetian troops worsened relations ("Helicopter Attack Sparks Hostile Words") [ID 17119]

"The already tense relationship between Georgia and the breakaway republic of South Ossetia has been aggravated by an attack on a Georgian helicopter – and revelations in Tbilisi that Georgian defence minister Irakli Okruashvili was on board. The incident, which occurred on September 3 when an Mi-8 helicopter carrying Okruashvili came under fire from South Ossetian territory, has also worsened relations between Georgia and Russia, which Tbilisi accuses of backing the separatists. Georgian officials said the aircraft made an emergency landing but no one was hurt. The South Ossetians confirmed their troops were responsible for the attack, alleging that the helicopter concerned had entered their air space and fired shots at the ground. However, they did not suggest that the aircraft was targeted because of prior intelligence that Okruashvili was on board.[...] Shortly after the incident, the South Ossetian government’s press service issued a statement [...]. The statement accused Georgian aircraft of violating South Ossetian air space 240 times in the past five months. [...] In the days that followed, there was little attempt at damage limitation on either side. [...] In Tbilisi, the chairman of the Georgian parliament’s defence and security committee, Givi Targamadze, said the international community needed to move more quickly to resolve the long-running territorial dispute. “ Otherwise Tbilisi may use force to bring the self-declared republic of South Ossetia back under its control,” warned Targamadze, who is close to both Okruashvili and Saakashvili. His remarks were seen as the first time a senior Georgian figure had said publicly and unequivocably that military action to recapture South Ossetia was an option. The South Ossetian authorities put their own forces on high alert, and accused the Georgians of massing troops nearby. Mindzayev said the Georgians were steadily building up their military strength “to capture the South Ossetian capital Tskhinval”.[...] The Russian foreign ministry suggested that Tbilisi itself was to blame for the incident, by allowing a helicopter to fly over the conflict zone. [...] The Georgian foreign ministry described Russia’s position as “yet another demonstration of open support... of the separatist authorities in South Ossetia”. [...] So far the only international response has come from the OSCE, which has military observers in the conflict zone. The head of the OSCE mission in Georgia, Roy Reeve, said there was an agreement in place banning flights over the conflict zone, but at the same time, firing at an aircraft was a breach of international standards."

05.09.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Separatists fire on helicopter carrying Georgian minister; Georgian parliamentarian Givi Targamadze says government might use force to regain control over South Ossetia ("Georgia considers force in S Ossetia crisis"), Autor: International Relations and Security Network [ID 17120]

See also section Autonomous Territories - South Ossetia - Tensions with Georgian Government

"South Ossetian separatists fire on a Georgian helicopter carrying the country's defense minister, and a prominent lawmaker in Tbilisi for the first time discusses using force to reign in the Russian-backed breakaway region. Georgian-Russian relations have reached their highest level of tension in recent times after a Georgian Mi-8 helicopter carrying the Georgian defense minister came under fire while flying over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia over the weekend. The craft was forced to make an emergency landing in the Caucasus mountains in a move Tbilisi accuses Moscow of orchestrating. The Georgian helicopter was shot at on Sunday, 3 September, for allegedly violating the de facto republic's air space by what Russia refers to as the "Air Defense of South Ossetia" and what Georgia refers to as South Ossetian "bandits" or "rebels." [...] Tensions continued to rise on Monday, with Georgian officials labeling the incident an act of terrorism by South Ossetian militias and accusing Russian peacekeepers of colluding with South Ossetia in the attack. [...] Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying on Monday that the Georgian helicopter's "inspection flight" over South Ossetia shows that the Georgian authorities are "openly engaged in preparations for a non-peaceful solution to the conflict.""

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03.09.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Helicopter carrying the Defense Minister Okruashvili attacked by militia as it flew over South Ossetia; no one was injured ("South Ossetian Militia Attacks Georgian MoD Helicopter") [ID 17298]

"A helicopter carrying the Georgian Defense Minister and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces was damaged after South Ossetian militias opened fire on September 3 when the MI-8 helicopter flew over the secessionist-controlled territory, Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said.
He said the helicopter had “to carry out an emergency landing.” No one was injured. [...]Meanwhile, the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported that the Georgian helicopter “was shot down” at approximately 3:40 pm local time. The South Ossetian official agency said in a statement the helicopter “violated South Ossetian airspace over the Znauri district” in the west of the breakaway region’s capital, Tskhinvali."

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24.08.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Tbilisi increases peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone ("Tbilisi Increases its Peacekeeping Presence in South Ossetia") [ID 17123]

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27.07.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Tension mounting between Georgian and South Ossetian officials, one point of tension being the unofficial border-post near the village of Ergneti ("South Ossetia Braced for Conflict") [ID 15633]

"One of the points of tension in South Ossetia this July has been the unofficial border-post between South Ossetia and Georgia near the village of Ergneti. For several months now, the border has been under the control of special units of the Georgian interior ministry and military police. The Georgian troops are in uniform with black masks hiding their faces. [...] The hot summer is proving full of tension for South Ossetia. Georgian defence minister Irakli Okruashvili recently raised the temperature when he said he hoped to celebrate next New Year in Tskhinvali (which Ossetians call Tskhinval). Georgia’s conflict resolution minister Giorgi Khaindrava, who was responsible for dealing with South Ossetia, was sacked on July 21 after openly disagreeing with Okruashvili about the situation in the troubled region. [...] This summer, tensions are running particularly high near the Tamarasheni, an ethnic Georgian village inside South Ossetia. Most residents of South Ossetia have Russian passports, which provides a pretext for the Georgian policemen near Tamarasheni to harass them.[...] The situation first began to heat up more than a month ago, after a Georgian police post was unexpectedly moved 400 metres nearer to the village of Pris on June 14 and a brigade of Georgian interior ministry special forces appeared in the village, frightening the locals.Then, early on the morning of July 9 the secretary of South Ossetia’s security council, Oleg Alborov, was killed by a remote-controlled bomb as he was opening the doors of his garage. The South Ossetian authorities accused the Georgian government of plotting Alborov’s assassination – although some locals are inclined to point to other causes, such as an incident in which Alborov shot dead a teenager trying to highjack his car. Five days later, another explosion targeted Bala Bestauty, a deputy in the South Ossetian parliament and commander of a defence ministry unit. The explosion killed two teenagers who were passing by, while Bestauty himself escaped death. Bestauty is a popular and respected figure in South Ossetia who took part in the defence of the Pris Heights above Tskhinval in 2004, so most people saw this as a purely politically motivated attack. Predictions that war was about to break out became rife on July 13 and 14, when travellers on the Trans-Caucasian highway connecting South Ossetia and Russia saw a military column of 300 military vehicles, tanks and other military equipment moving towards the Roki Tunnel from the North Ossetian side. Three days passed before any information was made public, and it was then announced that the armoured column was taking part in Russian “military exercises” in the North CaucasusOn July 16, the parliament of Northern Ossetia, on the Russian side of the border, passed a resolution promising to “provide any kind of help to our brothers in South Ossetia if necessary”.In its turn, the Georgian parliament passed a July 18 resolution calling for the withdrawal of all Russian peacekeeping forces from both Abkhazia and South Ossetia.[...] South Ossetia is thus bracing itself for conflict. Men of all ages have been receiving call-up papers and are preparing to be drafted into armed militias."

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18.07.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetian leader said Russian forces would stay until final conflict resolution, despite resolution passed by Georgian parliament on withdrawal of Russian troops ("South Ossetian Leader Comments on Peacekeepers") [ID 15875]

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18.07.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Russia calls Georgian resolution on withdrawal of Russian troops attempt to stir tensions ("Russia Warns of Tensions in Case Peacekeepers’ Withdrawal") [ID 15877]

"Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kaminin said the Georgian Parliament’s July 18 resolution demanding Russian peacekeepers withdrawal from the South Ossetian and Abkhaz conflict zones is “an attempt to stir tensions,” Interfax news agency reported. [...] The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman noted that it is no the first time the Georgian Parliament has passed this kind of resolution. The Georgian Parliament has passed a total of six resolutions, including the July 18, about the Russian peacekeeping forces in past nine years.  Three out of these six resolutions have been passed in recent nine months (the October 11, 2005 resolution No 1927-II; the February 15, 2006 resolution No 2655-I and  the July 18, 2006 resolution). Three previous resolutions are passed by the Parliament during the Eduard Shevardnadze’s presidency in 1997, 2001 and 2002 respectively requesting the executive authorities to pull out peacekeepers from the Abkhaz conflict zone."

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14.07.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

North Ossetia announced support for South Ossetia in case of Georgian offensive ("N.Ossetian Leader Vows to Send ‘Volunteers’ to Help S.Ossetia") [ID 15873]

"Leader of the Russia’s North Ossetian Republic Teimuraz Mamsurov will help breakaway South Ossetia in case of Georgia’s offensive, Interfax news agency reported on July 12. He warned that volunteers from North Ossetia will travel to South Ossetia in case of aggression."

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13.07.2006 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

South Ossetia: The EU shares concern with OSCE on the detention of unarmed military monitors from the OSCE Mission to Georgia at gunpoint on 11 July 2006 ("Statement by the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the recent developments in Georgia and the closure of a checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border") [ID 15588]

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13.07.2006 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

On 8 July Russian officials closed border checkpoint to Georgia; according to Georgian authorities they were not informed 3 months earlier as called for in the 1993 border checkpoints agreement ("Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America on events in Georgia") [ID 15589]

The United States expresses its concern over recent events in South Ossetia at the border between Georgia and Russia; Russian officials closed Verkhniy Larsi border checkpoint into Georgia without notification of Georgian authorities, this leaving no possibility to pass Georgia-Russia border

"The United States wishes to express its concern over current events in Georgia's South Ossetia region and the situation on the border between Georgia and Russia. On July 8 checkpoint into Georgia. According to the Georgian Government, this action was taken without the three-month notification to the Georgian authorities called for in the 1993 border checkpoints agreement between the two countries. The closure of this checkpoint means that there are at present no points under the control of the Government of Georgia through which persons and goods can pass legally across the Georgia-Russia border. In order to avert crisis, the Government of Georgia has agreed to allow non-commercial traffic to enter Georgia through the Roki Tunnel until July 14 visa and border controls at Ergneti. Although we are aware of reports by the Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Force that Georgia has established other roadblocks and checkpoints within the Zone of Conflict in South Ossetia, the OSCE Mission reports that these allegations are unfounded. Clearly, this situation is unacceptable and must be resolved quickly. The unilateral halt to the legal flow of people and goods across the Georgia-Russia border harms the economic and humanitarian interests of the people of the region and beyond, including the population of Armenia. We urge strongly the Russian government to reconsider its actions and to re-open the Verkhniy Lars/Zemo Larsi checkpoint as soon as possible. [...] In this regard, we are concerned by the July 11 forces detained two OSCE observers at gunpoint outside of Dzari. Armed officials got into the OSCE vehicles and forced the observers to drive to the South Ossetian Ministry in Tshkinvali, before their release was secured. [...] Mr. Chairman, we are also disturbed by the July 9 Giorgi Albarov by an explosive outside of his home in Tskhinvali. [...] th killing of South Ossetian de facto officialth incident in which South Ossetian securityde facto Interiorth, Russian officials closed abruptly the Verkhniy Lars/Zemo Larsi borderth . It is doing its best to apply proper enforcement of its"

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28.05.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: 41 ethnic Ossetians were arrested by Georgian law enforcers at the Tamarasheni-Kekhvi section of the Trans-Caucasus-Highway and released overnight; reports that 25 detainees were beaten by the Georgian police ("Arrests Trigger S.Ossetia Tensions") [ID 15550]

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20.05.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Joint session of South and North Ossetian governments resulted in signing of joint program on social, economic and cultural cooperation; Georgia sees this as a violation of territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs by Russia ("Tbilisi Condemns Joint Session of South, North Ossetian Cabinets") [ID 15488]

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15.05.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: 10-member group will develop program of conflict resolution in frames of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) ("Tbilisi Sets up Working Group over S.Ossetia Peace Program") [ID 15473]

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13.05.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: The Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides will set up working group on conflict resolution ("JCC Agrees to Set up Joint Working Group") [ID 15431]

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24.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian foreign ministry expresses official protest towards the Russian ambassador regarding the statement made by Russian Prime Minister's aide that South and North Ossetia should unify ("Nach Statement des Berates des russischen Premierministers über Vereinigung von Süd- und Nordossetien: Russischer Botschafter erhält offizielle Protestnote des georgischen Außenministeriums") [#48006],  [ID 5760]

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23.03.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

South Ossetia: Leader of South Ossetia's government announced that he will file suit to seek Moscow’s official recognition of the region as part of the Russian Federation; this could effectively destabilize relations between Russia and Georgia and may lead to armed conflict ("Is Russia Looking for a Fight with Georgia?") [#47780],  [ID 4529]

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23.03.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

South Ossetia: Leader of South Ossetia's government announced that he will file suit to seek Moscow’s official recognition of the region as part of the Russian Federation; this could effectively destabilize relations between Russia and Georgia and may lead to armed conflict ("Is Russia Looking for a Fight with Georgia?") [#47780],  [ID 4529]

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23.03.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

South Ossetia: Leader of South Ossetia's government announced that he will file suit to seek Moscow’s official recognition of the region as part of the Russian Federation; this could effectively destabilize relations between Russia and Georgia and may lead to armed conflict ("Is Russia Looking for a Fight with Georgia?") [#47780],  [ID 5761]

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23.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Unification of Russian republic North Ossetia and South Ossetia is "inevitable", says North Ossetian president Teimuraz Mamsurov ("North Ossetian Leader Speaks of Union with South Ossetia") [#47378],  [ID 5831]

Document(s): Open document

23.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Russian Republic North Ossetia and South Ossetia should unite and form the Republic of "Alania", says aide to the Russian prime minister Genady Bukaev ("Paper: Russian Official Says North and S.Ossetia Should Unite") [#47377],  [ID 5832]

Document(s): Open document

15.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity holds talks with president of North Ossetian Republic Teimuraz Mamsurov over joint session of governments and "further intensification of the integration process" ("South, North Ossetian Leaders Hold Talks") [#47359],  [ID 5833]

Document(s): Open document

14.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Meeting of Special Representative of the OSCE, Head of the OSCE Mission in Georgia and and chief negotiator of South Ossetian government in Tskhinvali on March 13; talks about peaceful settlement of the conflict ("OSCE Officials Visit Tskhinvali") [#47278],  [ID 5762]

Document(s): Open document

27.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

South Ossetia: Conflict should be solved through dialogue and consultations and without military operations, says President Saakashvili ("Saakashvili reiterates to solve S.Ossetian conflict peacefully (UN Association of Georgia)") [#45093],  [ID 5763]

Document(s): Open document

23.02.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

South Ossetia: After Georgian parliament adopted a resolution on 15 February demanding the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers communication between Russia and Georgia disrupted ("Communications Breakdown: Russia and Georgia Engage in War of Words") [#45266],  [ID 5764]

Document(s): Open document

22.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel De Gucht urges all parties involved in the conflict to return to the negotiating table ("OSCE Chairman Calls for Talks over South Ossetia") [#44986],  [ID 4542]

Document(s): Open document

20.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

South Ossetia: Russian government plans meeting to settle conflict over Russian peacekeepers with Georgia; representatives of Russia, South and North Ossetia to take part; Georgia and OSCE will not participate ("Upcoming consultations and meetings of Cochairmen of the Mixed Control Commission (MCC) for settlement of Georgian-Ossetian conflict (Government of the Russian Federation)") [#44712],  [ID 5765]

Document(s): Open document

20.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

According to Georgian Interior Minister, South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali is source for spreading counterfeit currency ("Interior Minister: Tskhinvali is Source of Counterfeit Currency") [#44604],  [ID 5766]

Document(s): Open document

20.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Main road in region reopened for both South Ossetian and Georgian civilians ("Georgian Side Reopens Main Road in S.Ossetia for Civilians") [#44601],  [ID 5767]

Document(s): Open document

16.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Chairman of Russian Duma condemns resolution on Russian peacekeepers passed by Georgian parliament on 15 February; resolution will lead to resumption of hostilities in South Ossetian conflict zone ("Russian Speaker Condemns Georgia’s Resolution on Peacekeepers") [#44278],  [ID 5768]

Document(s): Open document

15.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Parliament instructs government to revise Sochi agreement from 24 June 1992; instead of Russian forces, an international peacekeeping operation should be deployed ("South Ossetia: Parliament Passes Resolution on Peacekeepers") [#44284],  [ID 5769]

Document(s): Open document

15.02.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Parliament passed resolution denouncing Russia's alleged attempts at "annexing" South Ossetia; Russian troops accused of supplying separatist forces and threatening Georgian citizens in conflict zone ("Georgia: Parliament Votes Russian Troops Out Of South Ossetia") [#44224],  [ID 5770]

Document(s): Open document

10.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: 3 Russian military officers released after detention for not obtaining valid Georgian visas ("Russian Military Officers Released") [#43854],  [ID 5771]

Document(s): Open document

09.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

South Ossetia: Withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers could destabilise security situation if additional Georgian troops are not deployed in their place ("Georgia: Lack of peacekeepers may be destabilizing in South Ossetia (United States Department of State)") [#48902],  [ID 5772]

Document(s): Open document

09.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Most of the Georgian troops have left conflict zone, says Rem Akimov, Chief of Staff of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces ("Russian Officer: Most of Georgian Soldiers Have Left Eredvi") [#43852],  [ID 5773]

Document(s): Open document

08.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Russian peacekeepers will stay in conflict zone, against Georgian parliament's resolution, says chief russian peacekeeper Marat Kulakhmetov ("Chief Russian Peacekeeper Speaks of Provocations") [#43849],  [ID 5774]

Document(s): Open document

08.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian state minister for conflict resolution issues Giorgi Khaindrava rejects proposal by South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity for talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ("Tbilisi Rejects Kokoity’s Proposal for Talks with Saakashvili") [#43848],  [ID 5775]

Document(s): Open document

07.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Russian officials say that Moscow will most likely refuse to pull out its troops from the South Ossetian conflict zone even after the Georgian side’s demand; on 7 February 2006, parliament started hearings on South Ossetian peace process ("Parliament Sets the Stage for a Crucial Vote on Russian Peacekeepers") [#43648],  [ID 5776]

Document(s): Open document

05.02.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Scenarios after parliamentary hearing on 7 February 2006 on the efficiency of Russian peasekeeping troops ("S.Ossetia: Mapping Out Scenarios") [#43654],  [ID 5777]

Document(s): Open document

26.01.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

South Ossetia: Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili calls on EU to activate its role in conflict resolution ("Georgia: Tbilisi calls on EU for active role in S.Ossetia conflict resolution (UN Association of Georgia)") [#42999],  [ID 5778]

Document(s): Open document

23.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Situation might deteriorate if Russian Peacekeepers are demanded by Georgian parliament to leave, warns Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili ("Russian Envoy: Peacekeepers' Pullout May Spark Tensions in South Ossetia") [#42725],  [ID 5779]

Document(s): Open document

20.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Foreign Ministry denies Georgian government's accusations regarding delivery of Russian arms to Tskhinvali region ("Tskhinvali Denies Accusations over Arms Delivery") [#42478],  [ID 5780]

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18.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Delivery of Russian arms to conflict zone continues despite Georgia's requests to suspend it, says Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili ("Georgian Foreign Minister Protests Arms Delivery to S. Ossetia") [#42154],  [ID 5781]

Document(s): Open document

10.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Russian troops accuse Georgians of violating the terms of peacekeepers' rotation as fixed in peacekeeping agreement ("Russian Peacekeepers Accuse Tbilisi of Violating Rotation Terms") [#42141],  [ID 5782]

Document(s): Open document

07.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Interior minister of South Ossetia threatens to arrest Georgian interior and defense minister in case they entered Ossetian-controlled territory ("S. Ossetian Interior Minister Threatens to Arrest Georgian Top Officials") [#42140],  [ID 5783]

Document(s): Open document

05.01.2006 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Despite May 2005 agreement to withdraw Russian military troops from Georgia by 2008, Georgian Parliament adopted a resolution in October 2005 threatening that mandate of Russian troops in breakaway regions would end in 2006 ("Implementation of Resolution 1415 (2005) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia [Doc. 10779]") [#41527],  [ID 5784]

"21. An agreement on a timetable for withdrawal of the Russian military troops on Georgian territory was eventually reached in May and signed by the two Foreign Ministers. Under its terms, Russia would completely close down its bases in Georgia by 2008, starting with Akhalkalaki and then Batumi.

22. In October, the Georgian Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution in which it threatened to end the mandate of the peace-keeping forces of Russia in the two Georgian breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia if there was no progress in their performance by 10 February 2006 in South Ossetia and 1 July 2006 in Abkhazia. There is no ready-made solution for the moment to replace the existing peace-keepers. The resolution is not legally binding for the government; officials explained to the monitoring delegation that at this stage it should rather be regarded as a declaration of intent.

23. According to several international observers, this move could complicate the further withdrawal of Russian troops, as Russia is now insisting that the agreement reached in May should be backed by a text ratified by the Russian Duma. Although the timetable for 2005 has so far been respected, the most important removal operations have to be performed in 2006."

Document(s): Open document

05.01.2006 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Deadline for Peace Plan by 2007 seems unrealistic in view of 2005 events; first, South Ossetia and Georgia called each other responsible for September incident with 10 casualties; as a reaction, Georgian Parliament gave ultimatum to peace-keepers; on the other side, new co-operation agreement between South and North Ossetia calls for their unification ("Implementation of Resolution 1415 (2005) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia [Doc. 10779]") [#41527],  [ID 5785]

"26. The most recent version of the Georgian peace plan proposes drawing the United States, the EU, and the OSCE into the search for a political settlement to the conflict alongside Russia. It also advocates demilitarisation of the conflict zone and imposition of strict border controls at the Roki tunnel linking South Ossetia with the Russian Federation. [...]
The South-Ossetian side has repeatedly rejected the peace plan as a whole. The part of it which until now has been considered as the most realistic basis for any further progress, has been a three stage approach for settling the conflict proposed by President Saakashvili in his UN speech. At a meeting in Moscow in October, the Joint Control Commission (JCC), including representatives of Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia and North Ossetia, agreed that this would imply 1/ demilitarisation and confidence-building measures; 2/ social and economic rehabilitation, and 3/ political settlement including the issue of the status of South Ossetia.
29. However, the following meeting of the JCC in Ljubljana on 15-17 November 2005, which was supposed to develop these ideas further, ended in a deadlock.
30. The Georgian authorities have been increasingly insistent on the need to change the format of the JCC and to involve actively the EU and the US. […] Both Russia and South Ossetia have been opposed to any change. […]
32. The 20 September events in Tskhinvali raised the tension significantly. During a military parade to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the "declaration of independence" in South Ossetia, the authorities of the unrecognised republic displayed heavy armoury, in violation of all existing agreements. […] In the evening, mortar rounds struck civilian buildings in Tskhinvali, injuring 10 people. The Georgian and South-Ossetian sides accused each other of the attack; there has not been any conclusive evidence allowing the identification of the perpetrators. [...] The statement was then followed by the October resolution of the Georgian Parliament, giving an ultimatum to the peace-keeping forces. [...]
On the other hand, several recent events have fuelled speculation that certain circles within the ruling elite might be in favour of a military solution of the South Ossetian conflict. Georgia has for instance bought military equipment from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ukraine and other countries. On 9 November the Parliament approved in the first reading a draft bill that would increase the combined personnel of the Georgian armed forces, in an apparent reversal of an earlier trend to downsize them for the sake of a highly trained army in line with NATO standards. [...]
On 18 September the South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity and his North Ossetian counterpart Taymuraz Mamsurov signed a friendship and co-operation agreement which, for the first time, explicitly sets as a goal the unification of South and North Ossetia. There is no democratic opposition in South Ossetia and it is certain that the current leader will win next years' "presidential" elections.
37.In this situation, the deadline set in the most recent version of Mr Saakashvili's peace plan for solving the conflict by 2007 seems highly unrealistic."

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05.01.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

South Ossetia: Georgian defense minister accuses Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetian conflict zone of failing to perform their duties and demands their withdrawal ("Defense Minister Speaks Out Against Russian Peacekeepers") [#42139],  [ID 5786]

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01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Centre

Conflicts exist not only on political level but actual lives of people in self-proclaimed republics are affected; with Russian interest in protection of regions, pushing to reunification by force from the part of Georgia is less conceivable ("Next Stop – Belarus?; Human Rights Report 2005; Georgia") [#43007],  [ID 5787]

For documentation of individual cases please refer to the original document

"Following the factual independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, clear tensions have remained between the various sides involved in the conflicts. This reflects not only on an abstract political level, but also on the actual lives of people in the border areas and within the self-proclaimed republics. The existing unrest sometimes translates into actual incidents. One needs to be careful though, not to overstate the pure ethnic dimension of these occurrences. For instance, there is evidence of the operation of quite some multi-ethnic criminal groupings that take advantage of the unstable situation.
The presence of Russian peacekeeping forces adds some strain, as their purpose is rather clear. With Russia having its interest vested in the protection of the regions, any forceful solution for the return of the areas into Georgian hands, as was attempted by Saakashvili in 2004 in South Ossetia, would be of little avail and could only increase tensions with all of the entailing consequences. Fostering the development of the rest of the country and pursuing a policy of good relations would be far more fruitful and peaceful. […] As soon as Georgia would have something to offer to the regions, the chance of their reorientation towards it would greatly increase. Pushing for reunification at this stage is bound only to increase the atmosphere of threat, which might lead to very undesirable results."

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31.12.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

After proposal by South Ossetian de-facto leader Kokoity on 12 December to set up group working on demilitarisation, security guarantees and political settlement, Georgian Prime Minister presented steps to be taken by Georgian authorities; talks on this topic in Moscow on 27-28 December had no practical results ("Georgia: Humanitarian and development update Dec 2005 (UN Country Team in Georgia)") [#42042],  [ID 5788]

"The Georgian side has refused to participate in the Joint Control Commission (JCC) meeting proposed by the Ossetian side for 8 December, until the situation regarding four Georgians, who were abducted in the conflict zone in early June, would be resolved. Nevertheless, Georgian Minister for Conflict Resolution, Mr. Khaindrava agreed to meet with the Russian chief negotiator for South Ossetian conflict Valery Kenyaikin who arrived in Tbilisi on 8 December. In his “surprise” official statement […] made on 12 December, South Ossetian de-facto leader Eduard Kokoity stressed the necessity for joint development of the Georgian-Ossetian programme on fair resolution of the conflict, proposing setting up a working group by 1 February 2006 within the framewofk of JCC. The joint programme should envisage demilitarisation of conflict zone, confidence building and security guarantees, social-economic rehabilitation and political settlement. Both, Georgian and Russian sides hailed the initiative, which was followed by the Kokoity’s statement expressing his readiness and willingness to conduct talks with Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and lawmakers expressed “cautious optimism” at the parliamentary hearing on 20 December over the South Ossetian conflict resolution after positive signs have emerged following the proposal unveiled by Eduard Kokoity. PM Nogaideli presented at the parliamentary se