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Russia-Georgia Q&A
Related to country: Georgia

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Quoted from BBC News
Fighting in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia has caused death and widespread destruction. Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian forces have all been involved. There have also been clashes in Abkhazia, and Russian attacks on other parts of Georgia.
The separatist administrations in South Ossetia and Abkhazia have been trying to gain formal independence since breaking away in the early 1990s.
Tensions in both regions began to escalate after Mikhail Saakashvili was elected Georgian president in 2004, on a promise to re-unite the country.
The conflicts have remained largely frozen, despite occasional flare-ups, until this month.

What triggered the crisis?
A series of clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian forces in the summer of 2008 prompted Georgia to launch an aerial bombardment and ground attack on South Ossetia on 7 August.
Georgian forces controlled the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, for part of the following day.
Russia, meanwhile, poured thousands of troops into South Ossetia, and launched bombing raids both over the province and on targets in the rest of Georgia.
There have been unverified reports of war crimes on both sides.

Did the Russian forces enter South Ossetia before or after the Georgian attack?
This is unclear.
Georgia says it began its assault after learning that a large convoy of Russian armour was coming through the Roki tunnel, from North Ossetia into South Ossetia.
Russia says it acted to defend Russian citizens in South Ossetia, and its own peacekeepers stationed in the breakaway region.

How did the conflict develop?
Russian forces occupied parts of Georgia adjoining South Ossetia, including the town of Gori, a strategic town on the main road linking eastern and western Georgia.
They also moved from bases in Abkhazia into parts of western Georgia, and the Russian fleet went into action against the Georgian navy.
Abkhaz forces re-captured the Kodori Gorge - a region of Abkhazia taken under control by Georgian troops in 2006.

Who are the main casualties?
Large numbers of civilians have been driven out of their homes in South Ossetia. Many South Ossetians have crossed over to the Russian republic of North Ossetia.
Residents of Georgian villages in South Ossetia, and the town of Gori, have also fled.
The South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, is reported to be largely in ruins.

Why is Russia involved?
More than half of South Ossetia's 70,000 citizens are said to have taken up Moscow's offer of Russian citizenship. Russia says its actions were designed to protect those citizens.
Russia also has peacekeepers based in South Ossetia. Some of these were killed in the Georgian attack on 7 August.
Until recently, Russia said it respected Georgia's territorial integrity, and only wanted to look out for Russian citizens. But, following Georgia's military action, Russian PM Vladimir Putin said it was now unlikely that South Ossetia would reintegrate with the rest of Georgia.

Does Georgia have links to Nato?
President Saakashvili has made membership of Nato one of his main goals - and Nato agreed in April 2008 that Georgia would become a member of the alliance at some unspecified date in the future.
The country has had a close relationship with the United States - sending troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq.
The US has helped to train and arm the Georgian military. It also helped Georgian troops return from Iraq after the Russian incursion into South Ossetia.

What is the status of South Ossetia?
South Ossetia has run its own affairs since fighting for independence from Georgia in 1991-92, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It has declared independence, though this has not been recognised by any other country.
Abkhazia is in the same position.

Why do Ossetians want to break away?
The Ossetians are a distinct ethnic group originally from the Russian plains just south of the Don river. In the 13th Century, they were pushed southwards by Mongol invasions into the Caucasus mountains, settling along the border with Georgia.

South Ossetians want to join up with their ethnic brethren in North Ossetia, which is an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation.
Ethnic Georgians are a minority in South Ossetia, accounting for less than one-third of the population.
But Georgia rejects even the name South Ossetia, preferring to call it by the ancient name of Samachablo, or Tskhinvali, after its main city.


August 18, 2008 | 10:43 PM Comments  0 comments

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