Twenty-four years pass since Georgia-Abkhazia conflict

Today Georgia is commemorating the 24th anniversary of the Abkhazia war, which ended with the area becoming a breakaway region of Georgia and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.

The confrontation started on August 14, 1992 and lasted for 403 days. It was one of many conflicts precipitated by the breakup of the Soviet Union and was one of the bloodiest, most consequential and most unresolved battles of the time.

In recognition of the date Georgia’s Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, said the only way forward was "peaceful dialogue” to settle domestic conflicts. 

Peace, reconciliation and dialogue is the only way we must follow. The current Government’s view to solving conflicts is very pragmatic, peaceful and constructive,” Tsikhelashvili said. 

Uniting the country, first of all, means uniting our people and I want to send a message to the people living beyond the occupation line: war and conflict is enough, we must not let such pain happen again,” the Minister added. 

During the 1992-93 conflict, tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers lost their lives and about 300,000 people were displaced.

Significant human rights violations and atrocities were reported on all sides and peaked in the aftermath of the Abkhaz capture of Sokhumi – the main city in the region - on September 27, 1993. This was followed by a large-scale campaign of ethnic cleansing against the ethnic Georgian population, according to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

A United Nations Secretary General fact-finding mission reported numerous and serious human rights violations were committed by both sides during the Abkhazia war.

Between 13,000 and 20,000 ethnic Georgians and approximately 3,000 Abkhaz were reported to be killed, more than 250,000 Georgians became internally displaced and 2,000 went missing.

Currently four countries recognise Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), Georgia’s two de facto regions,  as independent republics.

Russia and Nicaragua recognised Abkhazia’s and Tskhinvali’s independence in 2008 in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war. In 2009 Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu took the same step but after several years Vanuatu cancelled its view and said the regions were part of Georgia.

The rest of the international community unanimously agree the regions are integral parts of Georgia.