Tbilisi Calls for ‘Full Demilitarization’ in S. Ossetia

The most recent mine explosion, which badly injured two Russian peacekeepers in breakaway South Ossetia, highlights the necessity of an immediate and “full demilitarization” of the conflict zone, the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Merab Antadze said in a statement issued on January 16.

Two Russian servicemen were injured after their vehicle hit a mine near the village of Tliakana on January 15. The incident was promptly described by the breakaway South Ossetian Foreign Ministry as “an act of sabotage” by the Georgian side. 

“The Georgian side has raised the issue of full demilitarization of the conflict zone and its vicinities numerous times, as this is not the first case of a mine exploding. We demand the full demilitarization and the clearing of illegal armed groups from the conflict zone which pose a threat to the safety of the local population as well as to the implementation of donor-funded economic rehabilitation projects,” the Georgian Conflict Resolution Ministry statement reads.
 
“Unfortunately, the South Ossetian de facto authorities used this incident to accuse the Georgian side of terrorism and sabotage. We consider this misinformation disseminated by the Tskhinvali regime as an attempt to mislead the international community and a provocation aiming to intimidate the local population.”

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