Georgian PM on the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili made a special statement on 27 September in connection with the commemoration of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of the early 1990s. 27 September 1993 is remembered in Georgia as the Day of the Fall of Sukhumi. In Abkhaz society, this date is commemorated as the Day of the Taking of Sukhum.
The armed conflict in Abkhazia began on 14 August 1992, lasted 13 months and 13 days and ended on 27 September 1993 with the defeat of the Georgian armed forces. The Abkhaz forces, supported by Russia and the North Caucasians who fought on their side, were victorious.
According to unspecified data, more than 13 thousand people died on both sides as a result of the armed conflict. More than a thousand people are missing. Relatives still do not know where the graves of many of them are. Some 300,000 people were forced to leave Abkhazia, the vast majority of them ethnic Georgians.
The year 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in Abkhazia.
- Georgian-Abkhaz war, 1992-1993 – how it was, a view from Tbilisi and Sukhum/i
- Photo archive: Georgian families leaving Abkhazia during the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhaz war
- “How Abkhazia was alienated, how the Abkhaz nation was formed and how we ended up with separatism”. Blog of historian Beka Kobakhidze
- “Why Abkhazia does not face the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh?” Opinion
The Prime Minister called the war in Abkhazia “one of the most dramatic events in the history of modern Georgia”.
“We deeply believe that peace is the foundation on which we should build a united, strong, developed country together with our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers,” Irakli Garibashvili said.
The Georgian Prime Minister called the events of the 1990s in Abkhazia ethnic cleansing:
“The war left a heavy trace in our country. Ethnic cleansing led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in their own homeland. What is most sad is the tragically ended lives of many of our fellow citizens.
De-occupation of the regions occupied by Russia and unification of the country continues to be the main task of our state and society,” Garibashvili said and expressed condolences to the family members and relatives of the victims of the war.
“Today, as we remember the sacrifices made, we reaffirm our commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Our government is firmly on this path, and we deeply believe that peace is the foundation on which we must build a united, strong, developed country together with our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers.
I believe that the future belongs to unity, peace and prosperity of Abkhazians and Georgians,” the Prime Minister said.