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4.122.4

South Ossetia–

Following significant fighting in summer 2004, autonomous region (oblast) to an autonomous the situation in has stabilized republic within Georgia. The Georgian gov- somewhat in the past year, and the Joint Peace- ernment refused and retaliated with a law keeping Forces (JPKF) have been relatively abolishing South Ossetia’s status as an oblast successful in maintaining a cease-fire. Yet mor- in winter 1990. In January 1991 several thou- tar attacks in the latter part of 2005, an unau- sand Georgian troops marched on Tskhinvali, thorized military parade in the South Ossetian ushering in a year of violent clashes and administrative center of Tskhinvali, and a urban fighting. In May 1992, the deaths of a Georgian initiative to change the structure of reported thirty-six South Ossetian civilians, the Joint Control Commission (JCC) have in- including women and children, threatened to jected a great degree of uncertainty into the expand the conflict beyond the two parties— peacekeeping environment. that is, to involve the Russian Federation directly. The severity of the May 1992 incident led to negotiation of the Sochi Agreement, on South Ossetia–Georgia Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF) the settlement of the Ossetian–Georgian con- flict (June 1992), and to the establishment of • Authorization date 24 June 1992 the JPKF, composed of Russian, Georgian, (Georgia and ) and Ossetian units. The agreement also called • Start date July 1992 for a cease-fire, a demilitarized security zone, • Head of mission Marat Kulakhmetow (Russia) the return of refugees and displaced persons, • Budget — and the commencement of a political process • Strength as of Troops: 586 30 September 2005 Military observers: 40 under the auspices of the JCC, made up of Georgian, Russian, and North and South Osset- ian representatives, with participation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in The active phase of the conflict in South Europe (OSCE). The JCC coordinates the Ossetia lasted from January 1991 to June 1992 activities of the JPKF, whose principal man- and displaced almost 100,000 people. Like date is to separate combatants, prevent a many of the conflicts that broke out in the resumption of hostilities, and stem the flow of immediate aftermath of the Soviet collapse, the arms into the region. Although the Georgian South Ossetian conflict has its roots in Soviet government would have liked the JCC and ethnicity policy and the desire for autonomy. In JPKF to compel South Ossetia back under November 1989, with the breakup of the Soviet ’s control, the South Ossetians were Union looming and Georgian nationalism on able to establish their own state’s institutions, the rise, the South Ossetian regional govern- including a presidency, parliament, cabinet, ment sought to upgrade its status from an and national guard.

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SOUTH OSSETIA–GEORGIA • 115

The 2004 hostilities strained the already tense relationship between Georgia, South Ossetia, and Russia. It also illuminated the lack of trust that has marked the peacekeeping and diplomacy efforts thus far. Since then, there have been numerous small flare-ups in violence, including a two-week exchange of fire between Georgian and South Ossetian peacekeepers in November 2004, and the kid- napping of four Georgian civilians in June 2005. There is a marked lack of trust between Georgian and Russian participants in the JPKF and the JCC, and a lack of faith in the

s peacekeeping arrangement. On 13 September i b r o C

/ South Ossetia formally expressed concern S S A T

- over the appointment of the new commander R A T I / of the Georgian peacekeeping forces (because v e a t

o of his role in the summer 2004 campaign). On b e h

C 20 September the South Ossetian administra- © tion staged a military parade in Tskhinvali, Russian peacekeepers with the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in South Ossetia deployed raising great concern on the Georgian side on a hill near the village of Eredvi, August 2004 about the meaning of demilitarization and demilitarized zones as specified in the Sochi Agreement and the Document on Demilita- Violence broke out once again in summer rization (2004). That night, mortar shells of 2004, after newly elected Georgian president unidentified origin fell on Tskhinvali, injuring Mikhail Saakashvili ordered the destruction seven civilians. of the Ergneti Market, notorious for the avail- Simultaneously, the JCC has come under ability of weapons and illicit drugs, as part of attack for its lack of efficacy and perceived a ramped-up countersmuggling campaign. bias. The South Ossetians have demanded an Saakashvili moved a significant number of increase in their status on the commission, Georgian troops into the conflict zone and while Georgia has threatened to leave the ordered them to prepare for a “protracted, JCC altogether, arguing that they cannot pos- full-scale war.” A tense summer culminated sibly have an equal voice in a body composed in a series of bloody clashes between Geor- of Russia, North Ossetia (loyal to the Russian gian troops and South Ossetian militias in Federation), and South Ossetia. Recent events August that left more than twenty dead. A reveal how difficult it will be to resolve the new cease-fire was signed on 18 August by underlying political issues within the current the JCC cochairs and Georgian prime minis- framework. ter Zurab Zhvania.