Newly appointed EU Monitoring Mission Head visits occupation line in central Georgia

Bettina Patricia Boughani, the newly appointed Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, on Wednesday visited the central Georgian village of Odzisi to observe the administrative line separating the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the rest of the country.

In their social media post, the Mission said Boughani observed “borderisation elements” which were having a “detrimental impact” on the local population's ability of free movement.

The Council of the EU appointed Boughani, a commissioned officer of the French National Gendarmerie who held senior positions within the United Nations and the French Interior Ministry, to the position last month, the EUMM in Georgia noted.

The new Mission Head was previously involved in peacekeeping “in sensitive political and security contexts” and was Police Commissioner in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali.