I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1752 (2007) of 13 April 2007, by which the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) until 15 October 2007. It provides an update of the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia since my report of 3 April 2007 (S/2007/182).
2. My Special Representative, Jean Arnault, continued to lead the Mission. He was assisted by the Chief Military Observer, Major General Niaz Muhammad Khan Khattak (Pakistan). The strength of UNOMIG on 1 July 2007 stood at 135 military observers and 16 police officers (see annex).
II. Political process
3. During the reporting period, UNOMIG continued efforts to maintain peace and stability in the zone of conflict. It also sought to remove obstacles to the resumption of dialogue between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in the expectation that cooperation on security, the return of internally displaced persons and refugees, economic rehabilitation and humanitarian issues would facilitate meaningful negotiations on a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict, taking into account the principles contained in the document entitled “Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi”, its transmittal letter (see S/2002/88, para. 3) and additional ideas by the sides.
4. Throughout the reporting period, my Special Representative maintained regular contact with both sides, as well as with the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General both in Tbilisi and in their capitals. In May and June, several meetings were held in Tbilisi and Moscow with senior representatives of the Group of Friends and the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus. The Mission facilitated several visits for representatives of the Group of Friends and officials of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the zone of conflict and Sukhumi.
5. In spite of the expectations raised by the high-level meeting of the Group of Friends chaired by the United Nations and held on 12 and 13 February at Geneva (see S/2007/182, paras. 5-7), dialogue between the sides remained suspended during the period under review. The Abkhaz side continued to link the resumption of dialogue, including on non-technical issues, to preconditions, such as the withdrawal of Georgian armed personnel and the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia from the upper Kodori Valley, which was categorically ruled out by the Georgian side. It also linked the resumption of dialogue to the release of David Sigua, an ethnic Georgian working in the de facto administrative structures of the Gali district (see S/2007/182, para. 15), who had disappeared on 3 February 2007. The Government of Georgia has consistently denied any involvement in the disappearance. The sides also differed in their interpretations of Security Council resolution 1752 (2007), which the Georgian side welcomed as confirmation that it had met the Council’s recommendations related to the Kodori Valley, while the Abkhaz side maintained that the Georgian side remained in breach of the Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces signed in Moscow on 14 May 1994 (see S/1994/583) and related protocols.
6. Relations between the two sides worsened following what appear to have been informal discussions on the release of Mr. Sigua on the one hand, and the release of the three Georgian students arrested on 1 March as a result of the Shamgona incident (see S/2007/182, para. 14) on the other. On 3 May, the Abkhaz side released the three students. The Georgian side continued to deny any connection to the disappearance of Mr. Sigua and denied any involvement in discussions on the matter. This situation further undermined relations between the sides and overshadowed the release, on 23 April, by the Georgian side, of Pridon Chakaberia (see S/2007/182, para. 22). Against that background, even technical meetings between the two sides were not possible.
7. In May, the Government of Georgia outlined its overall approach to the settlement of its internal conflicts, which included direct dialogue between the parties to the conflict; involvement of impartial mediators; international policing; the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees; and the revision of the legal framework for conflict resolution. The Abkhaz side continued to oppose the modification of existing formats.
8. Concerned by the deterioration of relations between the two sides and the possibility of outbreaks of violence, early in June, the Tbilisi-based Group of Friends met the two sides in Tbilisi and Sukhumi and urged them to put the process back on track. In the same spirit, and also concerned at the lack of follow-up to the previous Geneva meeting, senior representatives of the Group of Friends met in Bonn on 27 and 28 June under the chairmanship of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Representatives of the two sides, led by the State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, Merab Antadze, and the de facto Foreign Minister, Sergei Shamba, participated in the meeting, as did my Special Representative.
9. On that occasion, the Chairman, while acknowledging some progress in several areas, emphasized outstanding difficulties. He recalled that UNOMIG continued to assess the overall security situation as tense. He mentioned the need to ease tension in the Gali district and referred specifically to the possibility of incidents linked with the recent establishment of the patriotic youth camp in Ganmukhuri (see para. 16 below). He expressed the fear that, in the absence of dialogue, existing mistrust and suspicions would further deepen and the possibility of escalation would increase. The Chairman stressed that both sides had a primary responsibility to refrain from any acts of violence or provocation. In stressing the need for a resumption of dialogue, he emphasized the role of security dialogue as part and parcel of the effectiveness of the peacekeeping arrangement. Finally, he expected the two sides to further discuss and implement the paper and the proposals for confidence-building measures presented by the Group of Friends in February. He also stressed the view of the United Nations that recent developments only confirmed that the creation of basic levels of trust between the sides and their respective communities remained a fundamental dimension of the settlement.
10. The Georgian side stressed its concern over what it described as a persistent lack of will of the Abkhaz side to engage in direct dialogue, and expressed its readiness to address some of the obstacles to its resumption. In particular, it confirmed its proposal to launch a Joint Fact-Finding Group investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Sigua. The Georgian side also confirmed its readiness to participate in the regular quadripartite meetings, which bring together the two parties, UNOMIG and the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as soon as the terms of reference and rules of procedure prepared by UNOMIG were finalized. Acknowledging continuing issues involving the transit of military vehicles through the security zone, the Georgian side pledged to continue working with UNOMIG to achieve full and timely notification. It reaffirmed its commitment to the 600 threshold in the deployment of law enforcement personnel in the security zone. With regard to the situation in the upper Kodori Valley, the Georgian side stressed that, since deployment in July 2006, the presence of personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs there had decreased considerably, now offset by a significant number of local personnel. While stressing its compliance with the 1994 Moscow Agreement, the Georgian side confirmed its intention to align its deployment in the upper Kodori Valley with the policy implemented in other regions of Georgia, including a further increase in the representation of the local population in the police force. It indicated that the number of personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs deployed in the upper Kodori Valley could be reviewed in the light of the security situation, including the findings of the investigation into the attack of 11 March (see S/2007/182, para. 27) in the Kodori Valley. With regard to reports on the presence of unidentified armed people in the lower Kodori Valley (see para. 28 below), the Georgian side denied any presence of Georgian security forces in areas under Abkhaz control, called for a full investigation into the matter and expressed its concern about the threat that such a presence might pose to the upper Kodori Valley.
11. In relation to confidence-building measures, the Georgian side reaffirmed its readiness, previously expressed in February, to facilitate contacts between the Abkhaz side and the Abkhaz community in Turkey. It was also prepared to discuss the modalities for the establishment of maritime communications between Sukhumi and Trabzon, Turkey. Reiterating the critical importance of the return of internally displaced persons to Abkhazia, Georgia, the Georgian side urged the resumption of work by the Commission for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees, which was established under the 1994 Quadripartite Agreement on Voluntary Return of Refugees and Displaced Persons. It also offered its support for the work of the Commission on missing persons. It expressed its readiness to continue to cooperate with the Abkhaz side on combating swine fever. The Georgian side once again reiterated its readiness for a meeting between the highest leaders of both sides, without preconditions. Finally, the Georgian side suggested that monthly meetings be held between the parties, the Group of Friends and the United Nations to monitor implementation.
12. The Abkhaz side stressed its concern over what it described as a continuing Georgian military build-up in and around the zone of conflict and the Kodori Valley. It expressed a particular concern over reports of alleged new Georgian checkpoints established in the lower Kodori Valley. In order to resolve security and other issues, the Abkhaz side stated its support for the resumption of the quadripartite meetings and its willingness to participate in a Joint Fact-Finding Group investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Sigua. It also reiterated its readiness to discuss ways and means to ensure law enforcement in the upper Kodori Valley through the involvement of the local population.
13. With regard to confidence-building measures, the Abkhaz side reiterated its interest in the intensification of contacts between the Abkhaz side and the Abkhaz community in Turkey, as proposed by the Georgian side in February. It also proposed the establishment of maritime communication between Sukhumi and Trabzon, and was ready to discuss ways and means to ensure transparency and accountability in relation to Customs control with the support of the international community. The Abkhaz side also expressed its readiness to cooperate in the area of missing persons, as proposed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to continue its cooperation in combating swine fever, in accordance with the mechanisms established in January 2006 in relation to the avian flu. The Abkhaz side reiterated that it was prepared to consider a meeting between the two sides at the leadership level provided that it was well prepared and resulted in concrete security or economic outcomes, such as a commitment to the non-use of force or to the lifting of the CIS economic restrictions. The Abkhaz side welcomed the continuation of informal dialogue involving civil society representatives. Finally, the Abkhaz side suggested that, with regard to those confidence-building measures, UNOMIG should pave the way for direct dialogue by developing proposals acceptable to both sides.
14. For their part, the Group of Friends stressed the priority that they attached to security and the preservation of peace. In that respect, they expressed their concerns about the reported movements of unidentified armed personnel in the lower Kodori Valley. They urged that the matter be investigated and resolved. They also reiterated their serious concern about the location of the patriotic youth camp in the vicinity of the ceasefire line, urged the sides to exercise maximum restraint and requested that the camp be relocated away from the security zone. They welcomed the agreement by the two parties to participate in the quadripartite meetings and noted their readiness to hold the first meeting in July 2007. They also welcomed the readiness of the sides to participate in a Joint Fact-Finding Group investigation into the Sigua case and proposed that it start as soon as possible. The Friends invited the sides to follow-up their commitment to several of the confidence-building measures endorsed by the Security Council, in particular the establishment of maritime communication between Sukhumi and Trabzon, Turkey, with appropriate Customs control. With regard to economic cooperation, the Friends welcomed the agreement of both sides to resume the work of the Steering Committee of the rehabilitation programme funded by the European Commission in the zone of conflict. They also encouraged the two sides to start cooperating on issues such as missing persons, and to continue cooperating in combating swine fever. They stressed the importance of holding a meeting at the leadership level. Finally, the Friends reiterated their undertaking made in February to monitor closely the implementation of confidencebuilding measures and the assurances given by the parties during the meeting.
15. On 4 July, the second meeting of the Steering Committee of the rehabilitation programme in the zone of conflict, funded by the European Commission, was held in the UNOMIG offices in Zugdidi and was chaired by the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Georgia, Ambassador Per Eklund. UNOMIG and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which are implementing partners of the rehabilitation programme, were represented by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, respectively. The Georgian side was represented by the Deputy State Minister for Conflicts Resolution Issues, and the Abkhaz side by the de facto Deputy Foreign Minister. The participants considered reports on the implementation of the first phase of the programme and presented their views on a range of issues, including the ways and means to better coordinate the implementation of ongoing projects and those planned under the second phase of the programme. The participants also exchanged views on the kind of assistance that the European Commission could provide under the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. In particular, they agreed to focus on confidence-building measures in the preparation of their project proposals. The participants agreed to hold a third meeting of the Steering Committee in Gali, in the third quarter of 2007.
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