GEORGIANS DEMAND ABKHAZ LEAVE ACHAMKHARA HEIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 001317 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL RS GG SUBJECT: GEORGIANS DEMAND ABKHAZ LEAVE ACHAMKHARA HEIGHTS REF: TBILISI 1161 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Begin Summary and Comment: In an August 1 meeting with Ambassadors from Western Friends of the Secretary General, Giga Bokeria, Deputy Foreign Minister, along with Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs (MOIA),and Shota Utiashvili, Chief, Analysis and Information, MOIA, relayed to the group that the Abkhaz have occupied the Achamkhara Heights in the Lower Kodori Valley and are using this position to direct mortar fire on Georgian positions in Kvarchara. Bokeria reminded the group that the Georgians had occupied the same location in June 2007, but at the behest of the Friends Group, had withdrawn to prevent further violence. Bokeria requested the Friends Group "weigh in on the matter," or the Georgians would remedy the situation themselves. Post is circulating a draft message to the Abkhaz from the Western Friends for coordination which will be submitted to the Abkhaz and copied to the Russians. (See para 3.) Separately, Bokeria confirmed that two IEDs exploded on a by-pass road leading to the Georgian enclave of Kurta in South Ossetia on August 1, killing one Georgian police officer and wounding five others. This route is same location where the Head of the Georgian-backed Temporary Administrative Unit Dmitry Sanakoyev was ambushed in an attempted assassination attempt in July (reftel). End Summary and Comment. ¶2. (C) On August 1, Ambassadors from Germany, France, United Kingdom and the United States met with Bokeria, Merabishvili and Utiashvili, where Bokeria led the discussion about Georgian concerns over the Abkhaz occupation of the Achamkhara Heights in the lower Kodori Valley, which overlook key Georgian police positions in Kvarchara, the Western-most Georgian checkpoint in the Upper Kodori Valley. Bokeria mentioned two incidents, on July 9 and July 26, when the Abkhaz had shelled Georgian positions with mortar fire directed from the heights. According to a SRSG REPORT dated July 23, "On July 9 there as a clash between the Abkhaz and the Georgian sides on the Achamkhara heights in the lower Kodori Valley. The Abkhaz side claimed that an Abkhaz de facto security post was raided by the Georgian side, resulting in two Abkhaz reservists being injured. The Georgian side stated that one of its patrols was attacked while securing the Achamkhara heights in anticipation of a UNOMIG visit to the Kvabchara Valley. It reported that three Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel were injured during the July 9 incident." In June 2007 the Georgian side withdrew from the Achamkhara Heights at the request of the Friends Group. Now, the Georgians say the Abkhaz are occupying this same position and are using it to direct fire on the Georgian police. ¶3. (C) The four Ambassadors agreed to draft a joint message to submit to the Abkhaz, calling on the Abkhaz to withdraw their forces to prevent further conflict. We have circulated the proposed statement (below) amongst the Western Friends of the Secretary General. Post welcomes additional comments from the Department. Begin Text: The Governments of Germany, France, United Kingdom, and the United States express their grave concern regarding Abkhaz attacks on Georgian police forces from Mount Achamkhara in the Kodori Valley. In order to reduce tensions, Georgian troops had unilaterally withdrawn their forces from these heights. Since their withdrawal, Abkhaz forces have since taken the heights and have fired on Georgian police positions repeatedly (July 9 and July 26). In an effort to prevent further violence, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States call on the Abkhaz side to withdraw immediately from Mount Achamkhara under UNOMIG's supervision. End Text. ¶4. (C) In addition to police attacks in South Ossetia, Bokeria told the Ambassadors that the Russians are renovating a military base in Tskhinvali which will support 2,000 soldiers. Such construction would violate current agreements, and bolsters Georgian arguments for blocking the entry of construction materials into the Zone of Conflict. TEFFT