The Messenger’
Wednesday, March 23, 2005, #052 (0826)

Tbilisi says Russia’s explanation of armed incursion ‘inadequate’

Russian peacekeepers sought to disarm Georgian battalion that detained four
Russian peacekeepers on Monday
By Keti Sikharulidze

The unannounced incursion of Russian peacekeepers into the Georgian
controlled village of Ganmukhuri near Abkhazia sparked tensions on
Tuesday before the Russian troops withdrew and Georgian officials
said the situation was “under control.”

Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili said later in the day
that 200 Russian peacekeepers drove ten armored vehicles into the
Georgian controlled territory.

The Russian peacekeepers barged into the office of the Ganmukhuri fast
reaction battalion and demanded that the Georgian soldiers present
their documents and hand over their arms.

The Georgian military officers, who on Monday had detained four
Russian peacekeepers who allegedly crossed illegally, and drunk,
into Georgian territory, refused to obey the Russians’ commands,
sparking further tension.

According to the president’s representative in Samegrelo-Zemo
Svaneti Gigi Ugulava the incident was resolved after he spoke with
the commander of Russian Peacekeeping Force Alexander Evteev, who
promised the Russian troops would be moved to their previous base,
which is also on Georgian territory.

“I also want to say that this was not a planned rotation as each
change of heavy military equipment and soldiers should be agreed with
the Georgian side,” Ugulava told Rustavi-2.

However, speaking with journalists the deputy commander of the
Russian peacekeepers Aleksander Kazantsev said, “it was just a planned
rotation,” though later he added that the main reason was to disarm
the Georgian fast reaction battalion as according to an agreement
signed in Moscow it was not allowed for Georgian special battalions
to be located on that territory.

Commenting on Kazantsev’s statement, Minister of Internal Affairs
Vano Merabishvili stated that the special fast reaction battalion
was sent to Ganmukhuri after several gangs kidnapped residents of
the village two months ago.

“I want to state that our special forces effectively defend the
security of Georgian citizens in the conflict zones and other parts
of the country,” said the minister at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Merabishvili said that the problem had been solved and that the
Russian peacekeepers had left the territory.

The minister stressed that the only thing the Russian peacekeepers
had to do was to keep the peace and defend the local residents form
any kind of violations.

“We are astonished and demand that the Russian peacekeepers explain
why they took such an extraordinary step. I hope that in the [weekly]
Chuburkhinji meeting on March 24 we will receive an answer to this
question and hope that our cooperation will be based on the legislation
regulating the existence of peacekeepers in this territory,” said
Merabishvili.

Early in the day Merabishivli said he was going to visit Ganmukhuri
village, although after the tension had apparently been defused,
he later decided not to go so as not to exacerbate the situation,
instead instructing Ugulava to lead the negotiations.

Speaking with journalists after the negotiations with the Russian
peacekeepers, Ugulava stated that the Russian side had complained
about Georgian checkpoints on the border.

In particular, they criticized the detention of four members of
the Russian peacekeeping force by the fast reaction battalion in
Ganmukhuri. The peacekeepers, who are citizens of Russia, Armenia and
Kabardo-Balkania were detained for illegally crossing into Georgian
territory and were later returned to their bases.

“They had no documents or other signs which could show that they were
Russian peacekeepers. They were drunk and also armed, and when we
found out that they belonged to the Russian peacekeeping unit they
were transferred to the Russian side,” said Ugulava.

Talking at a special briefing on Tuesday, Prime Minister Zurab
Noghaideli described the explanation of the Russian actions as
“inadequate.”

“For unknown reasons they demanded that the Georgian battalion disarm,
which is unacceptable for us,” said Noghaideli, adding that the
Georgian government should do everything to defend its population.

Besides Ganmukhuri the situation was tense in Otobaia, Gali, where
Abkhaz police entered a school and temporarily detained the school
children there. This led the children to panic, which led the
Abkhaz police to surround the whole village before backing away
shortly afterwards.

Commenting on the incident, Minister of Foreign Affairs Salome
Zourabichvili said she believed the incident may have been aimed at
delaying Thursday’s meeting between the sides in Chuburkhinji.