Reports: Georgian Troops Move into Kodori

A military convoy of Georgian 30 Kamaz-type trucks, 18 Niva off-road cars and two armored vehicles are moving towards Kodori gorge in breakaway Abkhazia, the unrecognized republic?s chief of staff of armed forces Anatoly Zaitsev was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency on July 25.

He also said that Abkhaz troops are on high alert.

Ex-representative of the Georgian President to Kodori gorge Emzar Kvitsiani, who recently announced his defiance towards the central authorities, is based in the gorge with his paramilitary group Monadire (Hunter).

Undisclosed Georgian government source told Reuters on July 25 that “some Georgian units? are moving towards Kodori gorge. ?They are ready to conduct an operation if it’s necessary,” the source said.

In a statement issued on July 25 the breakaway Abkhaz Foreign Ministry condemned the Georgian troops’ movement as a violation of the 1994 Moscow agreement on cease-fire and separation of forces.

?The Georgian side has violated the Moscow agreement and sent a large number of military hardware and armed forces into the security zone. A military convoy led by the Defense Minister [Irakli Okruashvili] and Interior Minister [Vano Merabishvili] are heading towards Kodori gorge,? the Foreign Ministry of the unrecognized Abkhaz Republic said in the statement, according to the RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies.

According to the 1994 Moscow agreement signed by the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the Georgian troops should be withdrawn from Kodori gorge ?beyond the frontiers of Abkhazia.?

Georgian media sources reported on July 25 that the Georgian Defense Minister and Interior Ministers are in Kodori gorge to meet with the council of elders ? an influential informal body which rules the gorge. Kodori is the only part of breakaway Abkhazia outside of the secessionist authorities? control.

Earlier on July 25, Georgian media sources reported that Interior and Defense Ministry forces were deployed in Mestia, the mountainous region of Svaneti in western Georgia which borders breakaway Abkhazia.

No comments are available either from Defense or Interior Ministries.

President Saakashvili ruled out on July 24 any talks with Kodori-based rebel warlord and vowed to curb activity against the country?s ?unity and statehood.?

“The only issue I can negotiate with Kvitsiani and his gang ? and this will happen only if they surrender [their] arms ? is about what kind of cells they will have in prison,” Saakashvili told reporters. 

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