Modern Argnonauts

Only two days ago, Georgian troops moved into the Kodori Gorge, a small area within the breakaway region of Abkhazia. The ostensible reason was “anti-criminal” operations that drew fire from both the unrecognized Abkhazian government as well as from Moscow. Yet, the actual reason is now clear. Georgia plans to relocate the legitimate Abkhazian government to the area. It has been in exile in Tbilsi since Abkhazian separatists drove them out in the early 90s. Civil.ge reports:

In a televised address to the nation on July 27, President Saakashvili said that the anti-criminal operation against rebel militia members in upper Kodori gorge to restore the government’s control over the area, which is the only Georgian-administered part of breakaway Abkhazia, has been “successfully completed.”Â?

Saakashvili also commented on some of the details of the operation, which started in the gorge on July 25 ““ three days after the local warlord Emzar Kvitsiani and his militia announced their defiance towards the central authorities. Officials said late on July 27 that Kvitsiani has most likely escaped to Abkhaz-controlled territory, and is most likely in Sokhumi.

While sneaking in the original government under such a guise is a seemingly obvious trick, Reuters notes that

The northern part of the Kodori gorge has until now been a lawless no-man’s land. A formal ceasefire deal between Tbilisi and the separatists, struck in 1994, ceded control of the northern part of the gorge to the Georgian government.

Susan who’s living in Georgia currently has some background while Sean-Paul Kelley writing at Registan thinks that Saakashvili may be able to pull off such a move and ultimately be able to retake Abkhazia but the Abkhazians aren’t having any of it:

Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia today said it will have “no choice but to use force” if Georgia goes ahead with plans to establish the Abkhaz government-in-exile to the region.

One thing is for certain, until these conflicts are solved once and for all, they’ll continue to flare up like the current fighting in Lebanon. More evidence of the dangers of peace and the uselessness of ceasefires that maintain the status quo. Someone has to win.