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Abkhaz rebels take Georgian villages
Georgia's Foreign Ministry claims rebels from the breakaway province of Abkhazia have gained control over 13 villages in Georgia proper. A statement released by the foreign ministry said armed Abkhazian militias on Saturday seized two villages in the Zugdidi region, 11 villages in the Tsalenjikha region and territory of the Enguri Hydropower plant, AFP reported. Independent sources or Abkhaz officials were not immediately available to confirm the report. The power plant and most of the villages are placed in a buffer zone, which was established following a 1994 UN ceasefire resolution. The buffer zone covers an area between Georgia's Zugdidi region and Abkhazia's Gali region. It also includes a narrow mountainous strip between Abkhazian territory and the Inguri River. Georgia's claims come as Russia pulled back its troops from the center of the town of Igoeti, about 40 km (25 miles) from Tbilisi. Earlier on Saturday Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev signed a French-brokered peace plan, already signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, to end hostilities in region. Later in the day, however, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserted that Moscow has no specified timetable for the full withdrawal of its troops from Georgian conflict zones due to the instability in the region. "We are constantly encountering various problems with the Georgian side and it will depend how quickly and effectively this problem will be solved," he said. The Russia-Georgia conflict erupted last Friday after Georgia launched a major offensive against its other breakaway province of South Ossetia. Russia, the main ally of South Ossetia, responded by sending in armed convoys and military combat aircraft. Moscow accuses Tbilisi of genocide against ethnic Ossetians, most of whom hold Russian citizenship. Posted by: Fred 2008-08-17 |
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