The GeorgianConflict

Main Actors of the Conflict

Georgia

South Ossetia
Abkhazia

Background of the Conflict

The separatist administrations in South Ossetia and Abkhazia have been trying to gain formal independence since breaking away in the early 90s. The conflict is deemed as a non-international armed conflict. However, international community watches closely the developments in the region owing to allegations of human rights violations, ethnic cleansing, international displacement of people in the region and others.

Levels of Conflict in Georgia

State vs. Sub-state
Intra-state conflict; within Georgia

GEORGIA

vs

Abkhazia

GEORGIA

vs

South Ossetia

Levels of Conflict in Georgia

State vs. State
Inter-state conflict

GEORGIA

vs

RUSSIA

USA

vs

RUSSIA

The conflict between the US and USSR is a strategic conflict of interests

Chronology of Georgian Conflict

The Abkhazian Conflict

What Abkhazia Wants Abkhazia has been fighting for independence from Georgia. Abkhazias claim is based on the grounds of national self determination. The idea that any nationality that sees itself as a nation should have the right to rule itself.
Actors: Georgia, Abkhazia, Russia
Territory: Abkhazia Status: Break-away region of Georgia. Declared independence 1999. Not recognized internationally. Population: (1991) 550,000 (2003) approximately 250,000 Capital: Sukhumi Major languages: Abkhaz, Russian Currency: Rouble Major religions: Christianity, Islam

The South Ossetian Conflict

What South Ossetia Wants? South Ossetia has been fighting for secession from Georgia for independence or a possible integration to North Ossetia which is part of Russia. In the same vein as Abkhazia, South Ossetia bases its claim on national selfdetermination grounds.
Actors: Georgia, South Ossetia, Russia, North Ossetia
Territory: South Ossetia Status: Break-away region of Georgia. Separated from Georgia in a 1991-92 war. Population: Approximately 70,000 Capital: Tskhinvali Major languages: Ossetian, Georgian, Russian Major religion: Christianity Currency: Russian rouble, Georgian lari

What Georgia wants?

Georgia maintains that it exercises authority over the disputed territories. Georgia, has a legitimate claim to the land on the grounds of territorial integrity. South Ossetia and Abkhazia are located within the boundaries of Georgia, and by international law, boundaries cannot be changed unless both sides agree.

CAUSES OF CONFLICT
Lack of Confidence in Institutions
Grievances and Opportunities

Economic Deterioration

Deteriorating Social Conditions

History Corruption

Georgian Nationalism

Fear of Instability

Neighboring States

Ethnicity and Religion

Political Parties

Ethnic Groups

Political Disaffection

Georgias Offer
To resolve the more than 2 decade conflict, Georgia has repeatedly offered greater autonomy and participation to both breakaway regions. This has not been accepted by the Abkhazian and South Ossetian authorities.
Area: 69,700 sq. km. Population: 4,469,200 (2011 est.) Ethnic Groups: 80% Georgian Capital/Largest City: Tbilisi Official Language: Georgian Independence from theSoviet Union: April 9, 1991

Armed Conflict
Sporadic armed conflicts between Georgian forces and the ethnic South Ossetians and Abkhazians have been ongoing since the 1990s. The conflicts have displaced thousands of Georgians out of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

International Players in the Conflict

Russias Role
Russia openly supports the de facto governments established within South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia maintains troops force since the 1990s in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of the peacekeeping force agreed with Georgia. The peacekeeping forces tasked in the area are composed of Russians, South Ossetians, Abkhazians and Georgians. The number of Russian troops in the regions have been increased and Georgia and international organizations have called for a reduction of their number to pre-August 2008.

Russian Interests
Russia has interests in the region. It has recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia thereby clouding the neutrality of the peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia. Russia is wary of the influence of the west over the Caucasian Region especially that of the US. Russia will benefit a possible integration of South Ossetia with North Ossetia and the independence of Abkhazia. Russia has issued Russian passports to the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

USAs Role and Interests

US participation in the peace process is limited to its membership of the Friends of the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council. The United States provides Georgia with military support. Military exercises between US and Georgian forces have been conducted inside Georgia. The United states supports Georgias mission to maintain its territorial integrity. Georgia has regularly ranked among the top world states in terms of per capita U.S. aid. The US has been Georgias largest bilateral aid donor. The US invested heavily in building oil pipeline that runs from Azerbaijan to Turkey cutting through South Ossetian territory within Georgia.

Oil Pipelines Passing Through Georgia

Georgian-Russian War
An armed conflict in August 2008 also known as Five-Day War between Georgia on one side, and Russia and the separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other. After the war, President Medvedev of Russia proclaimed its recognition of the two renegade territories.

States Recognizing S. Ossetia and Abkhazia

Russias Recognition
"Western countries rushed to recognise Kosovo's illegal declaration of independence from Serbia. We argued consistently that it would be impossible, after that, to tell the Abkhazians and Ossetians (and dozens of other groups around the world) that what was good for the Kosovo Albanians was not good for them. In international relations, you cannot have one rule for some and another rule for others."[

Russia maintains that the action taken against Georgia is to protect its citizens within the territory.

Georgias View on Russia Recognition

The question of the re-establishment of the territorial integrity of Georgia and the protection of its freedom this is not an internal Georgian problem, or a question of Georgia and Russia. This is now a question of Russia and the rest of the civilised world. Georgia's future, is not only the future of Georgia, this is the future of the whole civilised world...

Georgian President Mikheil Saakasshvili considered Russia's move as an attempt to alter the borders of Europe by President Mikheil Saakasshvili force.

I am committed to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. As part of the de-escalation process, a multilateral peacekeeping force must eventually replace the Russian peacekeeping force currently deployed in Abkhazia.

The American View

in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions that remain in force, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are within the internationally recognised borders of Georgia, and they must remain so."

The World View

The international community supports the efforts of Georgia to maintain its territorial integrity and its exercise of its sovereign power over the regions in conflict. Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and a few other Pacific states have recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

UN and the Crisis

The UN has been heavily criticized for the atrocities in the armed conflict in the region. Russia and the United States are permanent members of the Security Council and enjoys veto power over decisions presented before it.
in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions that remain in force, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are within the internationally recognised borders of Georgia, and they must remain so."

Ban Ki Moon UN Secretary-General

Role of the UN
To observe the operation of the peacekeeping force of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) To verify, through observation and patrolling, that troops of the parties do not remain in or re-enter the security zone. To monitor the storage areas for heavy military equipment withdrawn from the security zone. To monitor the withdrawal of troops of the Republic of Georgia from the Kodori Valley to places beyond the boundaries of Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia; To patrol regularly the Kodori Valley; To investigate, at the request of either party or the CIS peacekeeping force To report regularly to the Secretary-General within its mandate, in particular on the implementation of the Agreement, any violations and their investigation by UNOMIG, as well as other relevant developments; To maintain close contacts with both parties to the conflict and to cooperate with the CIS peacekeeping force

(source : www.unomig.org )

Six Point Peace Plan

No recourse to the use of force. Definitive cessation of hostilities. Free access to humanitarian aid The Armed Forces of Georgia must withdraw to their permanent positions. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation must withdraw to the line where they were stationed prior to the beginning of hostilities. Prior to the establishment of international mechanisms the Russian peacekeeping forces will take additional security measures. An international debate on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and ways to ensure their lasting security will take place.

International Monitoring
Ceasefire monitors have been conducted by the OSCE and the UN since the war of 2008.These monitors inside South Ossetia and Abkhazia have expired on January 1 and June 16, 2012 . Russia vetoed the extension of the mandates, arguing that the mandates did not properly reflect Russia's position of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. A number of incidents have occurred in both border conflict zones since the war ended, and tensions between the belligerents remain high.

Applicable International Laws

International humanitarian laws applicable to all parties to the conflict, state and nonstate actors, are as follows: Common Article 3 to the 1949 Geneva Conventions 1977 Additional Protocol II; and All other provisions of customary international humanitarian law applicable to non-international armed conflicts.

Common Article 3
This article states that the certain minimum rules of war apply to armed conflicts that are not of an international character, but that are contained within the boundaries of a single country.

Applicability of Common Article 3

The applicability of this article rests on the interpretation of the term armed conflict. Government vs Rebel forces Rebel Forces vs Rebel Forces to other conflicts that have all the characteristics of war but that are carried out within the confines of a single country.

What is COMMON ARTICLE 3

Persons taking no active part in hostilities, including military persons who have ceased to be active as a result of sickness, injury, or detention, should be treated humanely and that the following acts are prohibited:
violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; taking of hostages; outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; and the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

Protocol II
Protocol II is a 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts. It defines certain international laws that strive to provide better protection for victims of internal armed conflicts that take place within the borders of a single country. As of 11 May 2011, the Protocol had been ratified by 165 countries

What is PROTOCOL II
Protocol II provides limited protections to victims, including: Persons taking no active part in hostilities should be treated humanely (including military persons who have ceased to be active as a result of sickness, injury, or detention). The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.