Civil war to break out in Abkhazia

The Abkhazian authorities are considering an opportunity to introduce a state of emergency in the republic

Vladislav Ardzinba, the President of the republic of Abkhazia, stated that the storm of the building of the presidential administration and the cabinet of ministers was classified as an armed coup. “Proponents of the pro-Georgian opposition stormed the building of the presidential administration and the Cabinet of Ministers of Abkhazia on November 12th. These actions can be estimated as an armed coup d'etat,” the statement from the Abkhazian president runs.

The document says that the aggressors wounded several people with automatic fire. A well-known human rights activist, professor of the Abkhazian University, Tamara Shakril, was killed in the shootout. 

”The opposition proved it again that they are ready to seize power at all costs, and the bloodshed does not stop them,” the statement said, RIA Novosti reports.

Abkhazian Prime Minister Nodar Khashba stated that the republic's troops were put on high alert, Interfax reports: “The troops of the Abkhazian Defense Ministry have been put on high alert, but they are still staying in quarters,” Khashba said at a recent press conference.

According to the prime minister, the Abkhazian authorities are considering an opportunity to introduce a state of emergency in the republic. The state of emergency, the premier said, could be introduced only by the incumbent president of Abkhazia, Vladislav Ardzinba.

Nodar Khashba stated that those people, who had organized meetings in Sukhumi, were responsible for the mass civil disorder in the republic. “There were two meetings held. They were authorized, and the people, who organized them must be responsible for what happened,” the chairman of the government said.

Spokespeople for the Russian administration expressed their concern in connection with recent events in Abkhazia. It was particularly said that Russia would have to take adequate measures in return, if the situation in Abkhazia develops on the unlawful way, the official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Yakovenko said in an interview with Echo of Moscow radio station.

The followers of one of presidential candidates, Sergei Bagapsh, attempted to seize power in the republic. The opposition took such actions to overthrow the incumbent president and the prime minister of Abkhazia, Yakovenko stated. “Sergei Bagapsh and his followers will have to carry responsibility for all possible negative consequences. Such illegal actions raise concern in Moscow and may destabilize the situation both in Abkhazia and in the whole region. Moscow is watching the situation carefully. The Russian government hopes that the responsible political forces in Abkhazia will not yield to any provocations and will act lawfully in the interests of the nation,” said he.

The Foreign Ministry of Georgia issued a statement, expressing a protest in connection with the Russian Foreign Ministry's intention to take all necessary measures to protect its interests in Abkhazia in case the situation exacerbates further.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry urged the Russian government to refrain from interfering in internal affairs of the autonomous republic of another state. Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zubabishvili told reporters on Saturday that “Russia's actions to interfere in internal affairs of the autonomous republic of another state will roughly violate all international norms and principles.”