Georgia: Concerned at recent spike in violence, Ban Ki-moon urges all sides to talk

Warning that recent deadly violence between Abkhaz separatists and Georgian authorities could escalate, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides to “engage in dialogue” to bring peace to a region where fighting forced nearly 300,000 refugees to flee their homes 14 years ago.

“The recent acts of violence in the conflict zone are a cause for concern. I condemn them and urge the parties to work together in identifying and bringing to justice those responsible. I appeal to both sides to engage in dialogue to prevent an escalation of the situation on the ground,” Mr. Ban said in a report to the Security Council.

“I continue to believe that there can be no lasting settlement without a determined effort by both sides to seek, through genuine negotiations and in deeds, to establish a different kind of relationship between them,” he added, while reaffirming the readiness of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) to assist in bringing the two sides together.

The report, dated 11 January and covering the previous three months, highlights in particular the killings of three members of the Abkhaz militia on 25 and 26 December 2005, and also an attack on a Georgian checkpoint on 5 January that killed one policeman and wounded another.

UNOMIG condemned the incidents while also launching investigations, and in his report Mr. Ban warns that “the sides’ focus seems to have shifted towards enlisting more active external support, rather than addressing each other’s concerns and pursuing their political objectives through mutual accommodation.”

The mandate of UNOMIG, which as of the start of this year was made up of 127 military observers and 14 police officers, runs until 15 April. In addition to its patrolling and observing functions, the mission is involved in training and humanitarian efforts in the troubled region.