De facto Tskhinvali leadership announces restrictions for ethnic Georgian farmers

The Akhalgori municipality governor which is under Russia’s control since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war says that the de facto leadership of breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) has announced certain restrictions for ethnic Georgian farmers.

Governor Nugzar Tinikashvili says that de facto President of Tskhinvali Anatoly Bibilov said yesterday that those Georgian farmers who will take their cattle and sheep in other Georgian regions in winter will not be able to re-enter the region with their cattle and sheep.

The reason Bibilov named was that some illnesses and infections were spread in Georgian regions affecting the cattle which could also be brought to Tskhinvali via the sheep and the cattle of the Georgian farmers,” Tinikashvili said.

The reason is absolutely groundless as no such infection is reported. Moreover, both the central and local governments of Georgia pay close attention to timely vaccination of cattle to avoid any illness,” Tinikashvili said.

He stated that the restriction will be a "huge blow” on the local farmers as they will not be able to feed cattle and sheep in the Akhalgori region alone in winter.

Tinikashvili said that about 25 ethnic Georgian families have cattle and sheep in the municipality and about 1,000 heads of cattle and 8,000 sheep are taken out of the occupied Akhalgori each winter.