GEORGIA TO DEPLOY TROOPS IN ETHNIC ARMENIAN DISTRICT FOLLOWING CLASHES

Prime-News news agency, Tbilisi
10 May 04

Tsalka (south-east Georgia), 10 May: A 150-strong unit of the Internal
Troops numbering will be deployed in Tsalka District on Monday (10 May)
following mass disturbances involving the district’s ethnic Armenian
and Georgian residents on Sunday.

Prime-News correspondent has reported from Tsalka that the president’s
representative in Kvemo Kartli Region, Ioseb Mazmishvili, as well as
a group of investigators from the regional offices of the Interior
Ministry and the Prosecutor-General’s Office, arrived in Tsalka on
Monday to investigate the incident.

The Prime-News correspondent has said that the regional administration
will be based in Tsalka until the final settlement of the situation
in the district. A temporary command post coordinating law enforcers’
activities will be set up.

Ioseb Mazmishvili told Prime-News that the temporary command post
will work out a plan of special measures, including the disarming
of residents.

Disturbances involving ethnic Georgians and Armenians started during
a football match on Sunday and later transformed into mass clashes.

The president’s representative in the region has described the
situation in the district as tense.

Several dozen people, mostly Georgians, including children, were
injured. One young person suffered concussion.

Prime-News correspondent has reported that a group of doctors from
Rustavi went to Tsalka on Monday to treat the injured.

Mass disturbances involving ethnic Georgians and Armenians have
happened in Tsalka District before.