APPEAL OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA V. ARDZINBA to the people and leaders of the Republics, Regions and Oblasts of the North Caucasus

The people of Abkhazia were full of optimism regarding of signing the Sochi Agreement of 27 July on cease-fire, hoping on stopping the bloodshed, restoring the Constitutional authorities and removing the blockade from the city of Tkvarchal and from villages of Ochamchire District. However, after one and a half month it has become evident that the official Tbilisi tries to have revised the Agreement, referring to the UN and the leading western states. In breach of Agreement the heavy equipment and armed forces have not been completely withdrawn from the territory of Abkhazia. Pro-Georgian Government of Sukhumi openly impeded return of the Parliament and the Government in the capital of Abkhazia. For this purpose they organized rallies of the local Georgian population. The idea of impossibility of further coexistence was suggested to Georgians at those rallies. As a result of ethnic cleansing and the said policy currently Sukhumi has been turned into completely Georgian city.

Citizens of Tkvarchal and Ochamchire District are suffering with starvation and lack of electricity, medicines and fuel. They have already gone through the tough blockade during the severe winter. People’s despair and disappointment are unbearable.

At the same time the blasphemous rumors have been spread that the Abkhazs are going to seize Sukhumi. How it is possible to seize something that belongs to you – your home, the graves of your ancestors, the school where you used to go etc. It’s rather strange that aggressor, who expelled thousands of Abkhazs, Armenians and Russians, committed unimaginable outrage – finds the support among certain circles in Russia and in the Western countries.

The position of the MFA of Russia is rather astonishing – its leaders failed to observe the spirit and letters of the Agreement and openly supported the party, which had breached the Agreement. Russia introduced the economic sanction against Abkhazia, which is tortured in the course of war. Despite of several cases of violation of the UN Charter and the norms of International Humanitarian Law, Shevardnadze successfully takes advantage of using the UN for continuation of genocide of the Abkhaz population. It’s crystal clear that the enemy is not going to abandon his aggressive plans. On 17 September E. Shevardnadze announced another nationwide mobilization in Georgia. Georgian TV constantly make militant statements suggesting to each citizen of Georgia to take the arms and go to Abkhazia as the fate of Abkhazia is being decided exactly there. Still there are attempts to prolong the life of anti-human, reactionary regime, which plunged Georgia into the civil war and unleashed bloodshed in Abkhazia.

At this difficult time we again beg for support and assistance to our brothers and sisters.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia V. Ardzinba

(Conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Documents 1989-2006 (Supplement to “Kavkazskie Sborniki”, edition #1). Collected and commented by M. A. Volkhonski, B. A. Zakharov, N. Y. Silaev. – Moscow, 2008, p. 174/in Russian)