GEORGIA: UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001150

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF MOPS KBTS RU GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN
GALI

REF: TBILISI 322

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) Summary. There are conflicting reports on the extent
of humanitarian-related problems in Gali among UNOMIG
officials, NGOs in Zugdidi and Sukhumi, the Abkhazia
Government in-exile and Abkhaz de facto authorities. The
main issues affecting Georgian residents in Gali today
include the lack of rehabilitation of infrastructure and
impediments to crossing the administrative boundary. There
is disagreement among the various groups about whether
teachers in Gali are prohibited from teaching in the Georgian
language, but currently the main point of contention in
schools is the study of Georgian history and geography. The
process of obtaining travel documents poses a continuing
challenge to Georgian residents. According to our
interlocutors, crime seems to be decreasing in Gali, perhaps
due to the arrival of Russian border guards. On Poloff's
recent trip to western Georgia including Sukhumi, NGOs and
UNOMIG officials did not focus on the situation in Gali as
much as they have in the past. However, with the departure
of UNOMIG, the international community will need to maintain
its focus on Gali to ensure that the situation there does not
deteriorate further. End summary.

REHABILITATION IN ABKHAZIA EXCLUDES GALI


2. (C) UNOMIG military monitoring officers (MMOs) in Zugdidi
and Sukhumi told Poloff on a recent trip to those cities that
Georgians in Gali continue to experience harassment and
general neglect by the de facto Abkhaz authorities. The Head
of Representation of Abkhazia Government in-exile in the
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti District, Paata Shamguia, stated that
the Abkhaz and Russians are notably excluding the Gali region
from rehabilitation efforts in Abkhazia. MMOs specifically
noted as an example the M27 road, which runs from Gali to
Sukhumi. Despite assurances from the de facto authorities
that they plan to improve the M27 in Gali, so far
reconstruction on the road is occurring everywhere but Gali.
MMOs said that as soon as they enter Ochamchire region they
notice a significant improvement in the road.

IMPEDIMENTS TO CROSSING THE BOUNDARY


3. (C) Georgians face obstacles crossing the administrative
boundary line. In one example relayed by Zugdidi-based MMOs,
a medevac convoy in June from Gali was initially denied
permission to cross the boundary. Despite an obvious
emergency situation, it took 30 minutes for the medevac to
obtain permission to cross. While rumors persist that the
Enguri crossing has been shut down, MMOs reported that, in
reality, the Russian guards are enforcing the documentation
requirements for crossing the boundary. This enforcement has
limited the number of people able or even attempting to
cross. In addition, the Abkhaz militia has increased its
presence at unofficial crossing points, further discouraging
Georgians from trying to cross the boundary.

DISPUTE OVER TEACHING GEORGIAN HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY IN GALI
SCHOOLS


4. (C) There have been reports from some NGOs in Zugdidi that
Georgian children in Gali are forced to cross the boundary in
order to attend Georgian-language schools. However,
according to UNOMIG officials, other Zugdidi-based NGOs and
the Abkhaz de facto authorities, schools in Gali are free to
operate in the Georgian language and most children there are
learning in Georgian. The problem, according to a
Sukhumi-based NGO and de facto Abkhaz "vice foreign minister"
QSukhumi-based NGO and de facto Abkhaz "vice foreign minister"
Maxim Gundjia, is hat they are learning history and
geography from Georgian textbooks. The de facto authorities
and the general Abkhaz population find it unacceptable that
Georgian children are learning history and geography based on
a Georgian curriculum, which they maintain provides false
information. Gundjia told Poloff that the de facto
authorities offered to provide the Abkhaz curriculum to the
Government of Georgia so that they can print the curriculum
in the Georgian language, but that the Georgian government
has not yet taken the Abkhaz up on this offer.

OBTAINING A PASSPORT


5. (C) NGOs in Zugdidi described the process of obtaining an
Abkhaz passport for ethnic Georgians as a long but necessary
step. Estimates of the number of Georgians who have already
received a passport range from 20 to 50 percent. According
to the Abkhaz government in-exile and NGOs based in Zugdidi,
Georgians in Gali do not necessarily want Abkhaz passports,
but feel they need one in order to vote, buy land and have

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freedom of movement within Abkhazia. According to Gundjia, a
passport is only required for voting; Georgian residents in
Abkhazia will be able to buy land and move freely with their
resident cards. One issue which all sides raised as a
concern is that Georgians cannot legally hold dual
citizenship with Georgia and Abkhazia. Gundjia stated that
the de facto authorities may be willing to sign an agreement
to allow this -- but any agreement would lead to some form of
tacit recognition of independence and is therefore highly
improbable.

PRESENCE OF RUSSIAN BORDER GUARDS LEADS TO DECREASE IN CRIME


6. (C) According to MMOs, the presence of Russian border
guards has improved the security situation, providing a
buffer zone between the Georgians and Abkhaz. UNOMIG
officials reported a notable reduction in crime in Gali since
the arrival of the Russian guards in May. According to a
UNOMIG political officer in Sukhumi, during the week of June
1, there were three crimes reported in Gali and 30 crimes
reported in Zugdidi -- representing a significant reduction
of crime in Gali from last year. The Russian border guards
are more professional than the Abkhaz militia, and are
therefore committing fewer crimes themselves, as well as
preventing criminals from crossing the boundary.


7. (C) COMMENT. In the months immediately after the conflict
in August, the humanitarian situation in Gali was dire
(reftel). Criminal gangs reportedly controlled the region,
teaching in Georgian language was considered illegal, and
people generally lived in fear. Today the situation in Gali
seems to have stabilized, with crime rates falling, the
Georgian population seemingly more comfortable with the
security situation, and Georgian children learning in the
Georgian language. However, there are still many troubling
humanitarian issues, including the lack of will among the
Russians and de facto authorities to rehabilitate the Gali
region, the continuing obstacles to crossing the boundary,
the debate over teaching Georgian history and geography, and
the continued passportization issues. The Abkhaz and
Russians in Abkhazia will be able take advantage of the
departure of UNOMIG, which leaves no international body in
Gali with a mandate to observe and report on the situation.
The international community will need to pay close attention
to what is happening in Gali in order to protect the
vulnerable Georgian population. END COMMENT.
TEFFT