Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava told reporters on March 24 that the recent incident in Ganmukhuri will be discussed at the weekly talks in the village of Chuburkhinji, in the Gali district. These routine talks involve the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, as well as representatives from the Russian peacekeepers, stationed in the conflict zone under the auspices of Commonwealth of Independent States and UN observers.
The incident in the village of Ganmukhuri of the Zugdidi district in the Georgian controlled territory of the Abkhaz conflict zone occurred when a unit of the Russian peacekeeping troops, backed by several infantry combat vehicles, entered the village on March 22 and demanded that the Georgian Interior Ministry?s troops stationed there surrender their arms. Russian peacekeepers pulled out from the village after talks between the leadership of the peacekeepers and the Georgian officials on the same day.
?Such moves are inadmissible and we will demand relevant explanations,? Goga Khaindrava said on March 24.
But the Russian peacekeepers claim that they entered the village to monitor the situation there. The Russian side also claims that the Georgian Interior Ministry?s troops are illegally stationed in the village, citing a ceasefire agreement, which bans the conflicting sides from deploying troops in the conflict zone.
The Georgian Interior Ministry sent its special purpose units in the village of Ganmukhuri in January, after the village was raided by an unknown armed group, allegedly Abkhazians. The Georgian side stated that the troops will remain in Ganmukhuri in order to protect the peaceful population there.
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