Crisis Phase (August 25, 1990-August 13, 1992): Abkhazian nationalists declared their independence from the Georgian government on August 25, 1990, but the Georgia State Council (GSC) proclaimed the declaration of independence as illegal. The Abkhazia government declared the independence of Abkhazia on July 23, 1992.
Conflict Phase (August 14, 1992-July 27, 1993): Government troops and Abkhazian rebels engaged in military hostilities beginning on August 14, 1992. Russia began a mediation effort on August 15, 1992, and mediated a ceasefire agreement between the parties on September 3, 1992. The parties resumed military hostilities on October 1, 1992. The United Nations (UN) sent a fact-finding mission to the country on September 12-20, 1992. The Russian parliament imposed military sanctions (suspension of arms shipments) against the Georgian government on September 25, 1992. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers appealed for a cessation of military hostilities on December 18, 1992. President Eduard Shevardnadze requested the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Abkhazia on January 5, 1993. UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali appointed Edouard Brunner of Switzerland as special envoy on May 11, 1993. The foreign minister of Russia mediated negotiations between government and Abkhazian representatives beginning on June 16, 1993, and the parties signed a ceasefire agreement in Sochi, Russia (Sochi Agreement) on July 27, 1993. Some 15,000 individuals were killed, and some 350,000 individuals were displaced during the conflict.
Post-Conflict Phase (July 28, 1993-September 15, 1993): On August 24, 1993, the UN Security Council established the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) to “monitor and verify the implementation by the parties of the ceasefire agreement; observe the operation of the peacekeeping force of the CIS within the framework of the implementation of the Agreement; verify, through observation and patrolling, that troops of the parties do not remain in or re-enter the security zone and that heavy equipment does not remain or is not reintroduced in the security zone or the restricted weapons zone; to monitor storage areas for heavy military equipment withdrawn from the security zone and the restricted weapons zone in cooperation with the CIS peacekeeping force as appropriate; and to monitor the withdrawal of troops from the Republic of Georgia from the Kodori Valley to places beyond the boundaries of Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia.” At maximum strength, UNOMIG consisted of 129 military observers and 16 civilian police personnel from35 countries, as well as 105 international staff members.
Conflict Phase (September 16, 1993-December 1, 1993): Abkhazian rebels launched a military offensive against government troops on September 16, 1993. The UN Security Council appealed for a cessation of military hostilities on September 16, 1993. NATO condemned the Abkhazian rebels for violating the ceasefire agreement, and appealed for a cessation of military hostilities on September 20, 1993. Abkhazian rebels captured Sukhumi on September 27, 1993. The UN Security Council condemned the violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Abkhazian rebels on October 19, 1993. UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali established a commission of inquiry to investigate reported violations of human rights in Abkhazia on October 22-30, 1993. Government and Abkhazian representatives signed a UN- and Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement in Geneva, Switzerland on December 1, 1993. Some 5,000 individuals were killed, and some 135,000 individuals were displaced during the conflict.
Post-Conflict Phase (December 2, 1993-present): The World Food Program (WFP) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to individuals displaced during the conflict beginning in 1993. The UN Security Council appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on January 31 and March 25, 1994. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) attempted to assist in the repatriation of ethnic-Georgians to Abkhazia beginning on April 4, 1994. President Eduard Shevardnadze requested a peacekeeping mission from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on May 10, 1994. Edouard Brunner, special envoy of the UN secretary-general, mediated the signing of a peace agreement between the parties in Moscow on May 14, 1994. On June 24, 1994, the CIS deployed the Collective Peacekeeping Force (CPKF-Abkhazia), which consisted of a maximum of 2,542 military personnel commanded by Major General Dolya Babenkov of Russia, for the purposes of monitoring the cease-fire agreement, providing security for returning refugees and displaced persons, demilitarizing the Kodori valley in the Marukh mountains, and removing mines in Abkhazia. The UN Security Council authorized UNOMIG to monitor the ceasefire agreement, monitor the CIS peacekeeping mission, and verify the demilitarization of the buffer zone between the parties beginning on July 21, 1994. On January 19, 1996, the Commonwealth of Nations (CIS) heads of state approved a resolution imposing economic sanctions against the government in Abkhazia. The UN Security Council appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on January 12, April 25, and July 12, 1996. Parliamentary elections were held on November 23, 1996. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) established the Human Rights Office in Abkhazia, Georgia (HROAG) on December 10, 1996. The UN Security Council appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on January 30, 1997. Three CIS peacekeeping soldiers were killed by a landmine in the Gali region on February 24, 1997. The UN Security Council appeal for peaceful negotiations between the parties on May 8, 1997. The foreign minister of Russia mediated negotiations between Georgian government and Abkhazian representatives in Moscow on June 7-20, 1997. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Liviu Bota of Romania as special representative on June 19, 1997. The UN Security Council appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on July 31, 1997. The UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) established missions to provide humanitarian assistance to internally-displaced individuals in 1997. Local elections were held in Abkhazia on March 14, 1998. Ethnic-Georgians and Abkhazia soldiers clashed in Gali District on May 20-26, 1998, resulting in the deaths of some 100 individuals and the displacement of some 40,000 individuals. In June 1998, the US provided $5 million in humanitarian assistance, and the European Union (EU) provided $180,000 in humanitarian assistance to Georgians displaced during the military hostilities. Eleven CIS peacekeeping soldiers were killed by landmines between July 22-27, 1998. The UN Security Council condemned the Abkhazian rebels, and appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on July 30, 1998. The mandate of the CIS peacekeeping mission ended on July 31, 1998, but President Eduard Shevardnadze agreed to extend the mandate. Ninety-seven percent of Abkhazians voted for independence in a referendum on October 3, 1999. President Vladislav Ardzinba was re-elected without opposition on October 3, 1999. The UN Security Council condemned the Abkhazian presidential election and referendum as “unacceptable and illegitimate” on October 4, 1999. The Abkhazia parliament declared Abkhazia’s independence from Georgia on October 12, 1999. The UN Security Council demanded peaceful negotiations between the parties on November 12, 1999. Local elections were held in Abkhazia on March 10, 2001. Government and Abkhazian representatives signed a UN-mediated “non-use of military force” accord in Yalta, Ukraine on March 16, 2001. Four UN military observers were killed when their helicopter was shot down in Abkhazia on October 8, 2001. Parliamentary elections were held in Abkhazia on March 2, 2002. Sergei Bagapsh was elected president of Abkhazia on October 3, 2004, but the results were disputed by political opponents. On November 27, 2004, the Abkhazia parliament voted to recognize Sergei Bagapsh as the president-elect. A re-run of the presidential election was held on January 12, 2005, and Sergei Bagapsh was elected president with 90.1 percent of the vote. Sergei Bagapsh was inaugurated as president of Abkhazia on February 12, 2005. Six CPKF personnel were accidentally killed on May 20, 2006. On July 25-27, 2006, the Georgian government sent troops to recapture the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia from a militia led by Emzar Kvitsiani, resulting in the death of one civilian. Parliamentary elections were held in Abkhazia on March 4 and March 18, 2007, and supporters of President Bagapsh won 28 of the 35 seats in the parliament. On March 5, 2007, the Georgian government rejected the elections in Abkhazia. Russia lifted economic sanctions (trade embargo) against Abkhazia on March 6, 2008. On March 7, 2008, the Abkhazia government asked the UN and other international organizations to recognize its independence from Georgia. Four individuals were killed in a bombing in Gali, Abkhazia on July 6, 2008, and the Abkhazia government said that it was severing all ties to the Georgian government on July 7, 2008. Georgian government troops clashed with Abkhazian military forces in the Upper Kodori Valley on August 9-12, 2008, resulting in the deaths of two Georgian government soldiers and one Abkhazian soldier. Representatives of Georgia and Russia signed a EU-mediated ceasefire agreement on August 12, 2008. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia on August 26, 2008. On October 1, 2008, the EU deployed the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia to monitor the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory adjacent to Abkhazia and to observe the ceasefire agreement. The EUMM, which was initially headed by Ambassador Hansjorg Haber of Germany, consisted of more than 200 civilian monitors from 27 EU member-states. The EUMM verified the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory adjacent to Abkhazia on October 10, 2008. The CIS Collective Peacekeeping Force (CPKF-Abkhazia) was disbanded on October 15, 2008, although some 3,600 Russian troops remained in Abkhazia in support of the Abkhazia government. More than 100 CPKF personnel were killed during the mission. One government policeman was killed near Pakhulani on November 15, 2008. Russia vetoed an extension of the mandate of UNOMIG in the UN Security Council on June 16, 2009, and UNOMIG peacekeeping forces completed their withdrawal from Abkhazia on July 15, 2009. A total of eight UNOMIG military personnel were killed during the mission. Sergei Bagapsh was re-elected as president with 61 percent of the vote on December 12, 2009, and he was inaugurated as president on February 12, 2010. Russia and Venezuela sent observers to monitor the presidential election. President Sergei Bagapsh died on May 29, 2011. Acting President Alexander Ankvab was elected president with 55 percent of the vote on August 26, 2011, and he was inaugurated as president on September 26, 2011. The CIS sent election observers to monitor the presidential election. President Alexander Ankvab was the target of an assassination attempt in the city of Sukhumi on February 22, 2012, resulting in the deaths of two of his guards. Parliamentary elections were held on March 10 and March 24, 2012. Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Tuvalu sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections.
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