Security Council Distr.: General 17 July 2000
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United Nations S/2000/697 Security Council Distr.: General 17 July 2000 Original: English f Report of the Secretary-General concerning the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia I. Introduction the Government of Georgia by President Eduard Shevardnadze following his re-election (on 9 April 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to 2000) and inauguration (on 30 April 2000). On 4 July Security Council resolution 1287 (2000) of 31 January 2000, President Shevardnadze named the newly- 2000, by which the Council decided to extend the appointed State Minister, Giorgi Arsenishvili, as head mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in of the Georgian delegation to the Coordinating Georgia (UNOMIG) until 31 July 2000. It provides an Council. In addition, the President created a new update of the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, since my post — Minister for Special Assignments — with report of 24 April 2000 (S/2000/345). direct responsibility for conflict settlement in Georgia, and appointed to it Malkhaz Kakabadze, Georgia’s 2. My Special Representative for Georgia, Dieter former Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Mr. Boden, continues to head UNOMIG, and he is assisted Kakabadze now works closely with my Special in this task by Chief Military Observer Major General Representative. Anis Ahmed Bajwa (Pakistan). The strength of UNOMIG, as at 1 July 2000, stood at 102 military 5. In pursuance of Security Council resolution 1287 observers (see annex). (2000), my Special Representative continues to work closely with the group of Friends, whom he meets at least once a month, to further refine the draft document II. Political aspects dealing with the distribution of competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi on the basis of the principles of 3. During the reporting period, my Special Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity (see Representative continued his consultations, within the S/2000/39, para. 7). In addition, on 9 and 10 May 2000, framework of the Geneva peace process, with my Special Representative travelled to Moscow for representatives of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the consultations on this matter with representatives of the Russian Federation as facilitator, the members of the Russian Federation, in its capacity as facilitator. A group of Friends of the Secretary-General for Georgia version of the draft document, dated 25 May 2000, was and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in produced and circulated among the Friends in the Europe (OSCE). However, progress was slow, mainly expectation that it might serve in the near future as a owing to a lack of sufficiently energetic efforts on the basis on which to open a political dialogue between the part of the two sides to achieve tangible results. Only Georgian and Abkhaz sides. However, differences of on 11 July 2000, when the Coordinating Council was views have since arisen among the Friends themselves convened, was the machinery of the peace process concerning both content and strategy, and strong reanimated. concerted efforts are now urgently needed to produce a coordinated draft and approach. 4. Some of the delays encountered during the period were also caused by the reshuffling of key players in 00-51037 (E) 190700 ````````` S/2000/697 6. Meanwhile, the Georgian side continued to resumption of hostilities, which have been discussed express its eagerness to commence negotiations on the intermittently since June 1998. Furthermore, the critical issue of Abkhazia’s future status on the basis of Council took note of a number of suggestions the document on the distribution of competences submitted by my Special Representative to improve between Tbilisi and Sukhumi currently being worked implementation of confidence-building measures, out by my Special Representative. The Abkhaz side, including the creation of a database of existing for its part, maintained its position that it would not projects. engage in a dialogue with the Georgian side on this 9. During the reporting period, a number of projects issue. However, at the same time, it gave indications within the confidence-building measures component of that it does not wish to be left out of the debate the Geneva peace process were carried out. Early in completely. In consultations with my Special June, my Special Representative brought to Sukhumi Representative, the Abkhaz side has renewed its the Director of the Georgian National Library, Levan expressions of interest in the convening of a conference Berdzenishvili, who reached an agreement with the of experts to discuss legal aspects of the conflict. Abkhaz side that books and materials pertaining to 7. On 3 May 2000, on the ceasefire line, my Special Abkhazia would be sought among Georgian holdings Representative chaired a high-level emergency meeting and given to the Abkhaz side as a partial replacement of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, convened to address for the Abkhaz Archives destroyed during the 1992- a rapidly deteriorating security situation on the ground 1993 war. The first presentation of materials was made in the wake of the killing of some 12 members of the by the Georgian side during the session of the Abkhaz militia in a series of ambushes in the Gali Coordinating Council held on 11 July 2000, and further district. The meeting was remarkable for the frankness cooperation in this area is planned. From 16 to 19 May with which participants discussed the growing problem 2000, Georgian and Abkhaz non-governmental of organized criminality. Following the meeting, a draft organizations whose members are elders and war Protocol of the Gali meeting of the Georgian and veterans convened at Sochi (Russian Federation) and Abkhaz sides on the stabilization of the situation in the agreed on a series of measures designed to help security zone was produced which provides for the participants to move from confrontation to peace and monitoring by UNOMIG and the peacekeeping force of accord. In mid-June, on the basis of an agreement the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of an reached during the Istanbul Meeting of 1999 on agreed ceiling in the number of armed law enforcement confidence-building measures, the United Nations personnel stationed in the security zone, and for the Human Rights Office in Sukhumi hosted a training creation of a new structure of increased cooperation by session offered by journalists from the BBC for their the two sides in the fight against crime. The signing of Georgian and Abkhaz colleagues. The Georgian/ the Protocol was delayed as a result of the reshuffling Abkhaz Coordinating Commission and its Executive in the Government of Georgia (see para. 4). Secretary Zurab Lakerbaia have continued to make concerted efforts to realize projects in the economic, 8. On 11 July 2000, my Special Representative social and humanitarian fields. convened the tenth session of the Coordinating Council of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in Sukhumi. The sides were represented by delegations led by their III. Operations of the United Nations respective prime ministers. At this session, the Protocol Observer Mission in Georgia of 3 May was signed by the two sides, my Special Representative and the Commander of the CIS 10. The United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia peacekeeping force. The Council itself decided that continues to perform its mandate without structural or Working Group I, under the chairmanship of my Chief operational change, on the basis of the concept of Military Observer, should in future meet on a monthly limited patrolling described in previous reports. By basis to monitor its implementation. The Council also means of daily ground patrols from the mission decided that the two sides would accelerate work on headquarters in Sukhumi and the two sector the draft Protocol on the return of refugees to the Gali headquarters in Gali and Zugdidi, as well as weekly district and measures for economic rehabilitation and helicopter patrols, UNOMIG is able to cover its whole Agreement on peace and guarantees for the non- area of responsibility, with the exception of the upper 2 S/2000/697 Kodori Valley where patrolling has been suspended for doubling of the regular air and ground patrolling, thus security reasons. creating a far more visible presence and providing the ability to dispel rumours through accurate reporting. 11. The Joint Fact-finding Group established on 19 January 2000, which includes representatives of the 14. There was one confirmed violation of the CIS peacekeeping force, as well as of the Georgian and Moscow Agreement during the reporting period. On 12 Abkhaz sides, and is chaired by the Chief Military June 2000, a UNOMIG helicopter patrol spotted a Observer, continues to meet on a weekly basis. While BMP 1 armoured vehicle at an Abkhaz observation the Abkhaz side formally refuses to work with the post within the restricted weapons zone. This sighting representatives nominated by the Georgian side — all was followed up and, after two more visits to the post of whom are members of the Abkhaz government-in- by UNOMIG ground patrols, the armoured vehicle, exile — there is satisfactory cooperation on the ground which had apparently been deployed in response to an with local officials from Zugdidi representing the armed attack on the post several days earlier, was Georgian side. UNOMIG has successfully introduced withdrawn to a heavy weapons storage site. the concept of “quick reaction investigators”, military 15. During the reporting period, there were few observers posted in both sectors whose task is to go to exchanges of fire across the ceasefire line, but a the scene of an incident as quickly as possible after it number of ambushes were carried out in which 25 occurs to record evidence before it is lost or people were killed. The Abkhaz militia in particular contaminated. UNOMIG continues to stress to the was targeted. Mine accidents continued to occur with representatives of the two sides the need for regularity, but there were no proven cases of new transparency and cooperation and an improvement in mines laid.