Protests in Abkhazia in 2014
The protests in Abkhazia in 2014 (also: Abkhazian Revolution) were partly violent demonstrations by the opposition in Abkhazia against President Alexander Ankwab , who ruled the country, which is hardly recognized internationally, since 2011.
background
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia in 1992 . As a result, a war of independence broke out with the Georgian government that lasted until September 1993, killing around 8,000 people and displacing a quarter of a million people, half of the Abkhaz population. From 1994 there was a ceasefire guarded by Russian soldiers.
In 2008, Georgia waged war against Abkhazia and South Ossetia - both states were not internationally recognized - and against Russia as their protective power . Two weeks after the war, Abkhazia was recognized by Russia and then by a few other states. Because Russian soldiers are stationed in both areas, Georgia accuses Russia of occupation .
Demonstrations and storming of the presidential palace
Several thousand opposition supporters demonstrated against corruption. This resulted in the storming of the presidential palace in Sukhumi on the night of May 28, which the protesters held. An opposition coordination council has "taken over the leadership of the republic," said Raul Hadschimba , a leader of the opposition, to the press. Ankwab fled and is said to have been in his home region according to a report from Interfax . He described the storming as an "armed coup attempt". Interfax also cited a joint statement by the Ministry of Interior and Defense of the Republic, which said it was "unconstitutional methods leading to the destabilization of the situation in the country". On June 1, Ankwab, who had been staying at a Russian military base, announced his resignation and transferred his powers to Parliamentary head Valery Bganba . He himself received criminal immunity. Ankwab's party, Amtsakhara, held an extraordinary party congress after the overthrow.
The elections scheduled for August 24 were won by Raul Hadschimba, who until then had been a member of the opposition.
Web links
supporting documents
- Jump up ↑ Presidential Palace in Abkhazia , faz.net, May 28, 2014
- ^ André Ballin: Abkhazian Revolution in the Shadow of the Maidan , derstandard.at of June 3, 2014.
- ↑ Обращение к народу делегатов внеочередного съезда политической партии "Амцахара" , apsnypress.info Nov. 7, 2014. ( Memento of the original November 26, 2014 Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link is automatically inserted and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
