- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Peacekeepers' commander worried over Georgia-S.Ossetia situation

Subscribe
The commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the conflict zone between Georgia and its breakaway republic of South Ossetia said Sunday he was worried over the situation in the area. The Georgian police detained 48 Ossetians Saturday.

TBILISI, May 28 (RIA Novosti) - The commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the conflict zone between Georgia and its breakaway republic of South Ossetia said Sunday he was worried over the situation in the area.

The Georgian police detained 48 Ossetians Saturday.

Marat Kulakhmetov said the Georgian side had released 41 Ossetians but the situation in the conflict area continued to be tense. He added that many people who had been released had been beaten.

All these facts show that "the situation in the conflict area has not stabilized," Kulakhmetov said. He added that the Georgian side refused to give the reasons for the detainment of Ossetian citizens.

South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia mediated ceasefire agreements after a bloody conflict between the sides, and Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in the conflict zones ever since. Georgia has accused Russia of siding with separatists and stalling an ongoing peace process.

The South Ossetian authorities want to rejoin North Ossetia, although the two regions were separate administrative entities in the Soviet era and were separated further after the breakup of the Soviet Union. South Ossetia announced earlier this year that it would ask Russia's Constitutional Court to allow it to join the Russian Federation and would present historical documents to back its claim.

The peacekeeper's commander urged the two conflicting sides to prevent any provocations and keep from harsh actions and statements. He added that provocative actions in the summer of 2004 led to an armed conflict between the two sides.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has repeatedly vowed to bring South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region, back under Georgia's control.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала