By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
 
MOSCOW, Russia – Tensions in the South Caucasus are rising as the one-year anniversary of the war in South Ossetia and Georgia approaches.
 
On August 1, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Georgia of “aggressively rearming” and trying to incite violence in South Ossetia. The Ministry vowed that Russia would “use all means and resources available to protect the citizens of the republic of South Ossetia and the Russian servicemen.” The statements came after the South Ossetian government reported that two rounds of mortar fire entered from Georgian territory earlier that day.
 
Last summer, tensions between separatist government in South Ossetia and President Mikheil Saakashvili’s government in Georgia erupted into a five-day armed conflict that began on August 7, 2009. Georgia attacked the Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, in response to reports that South Ossetians had attacked ethnic Georgian villages in the province. Since French-brokered ceasefire, the region has been home to 240 members of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), which monitors signs of aggression between Georgia and the breakaway provinces.
 
Even with the EUMM observers, tensions have remained high. Russia has refused to fully withdraw its troops, as called for in the ceasefire agreement, and has said it plans to maintain its force of 7,000 troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia indefinitely. Small skirmishes continue to plague the border regions, though the EU special envoy has downplayed the violence, vaguely calling the hostilities “more virtual” and posed little threat that any substantial violence would erupt.
 
In response to the Russian Defense Ministry statement, Georgia accused Russia of restarting “with enhanced vigor its information war against Georgia” on the eve of the anniversary of last year’s war.
 
On August 6, Russian Defense spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said that Georgia could not regain the trust of its regional neighbors until it signed a non-aggression treaty with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After the August 2008 war, Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent republics, while the majority of the international community continues to recognize the areas as Georgian provinces.
 
For more information, please see:
 
China View – EU Envoy Dismisses Tensions in S Ossetia as “Virtual”– 6 August 2009
 
RIA Novosti – NATO’s Eastern Expansion Has Stopped Short– 6 August 2009
 
Al-Jazeera – Georgia Not “Aggressively Rearming”– 5 August 2009
 
Voice of America – Russian FM Lashes Out at Georgian President– 5 August 2009
 
New York Times – Russia Accuses Georgia of Raising Tension After Report of Attack in South Ossetia– 1 August 2009