The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side, Russian military forces on other side supporting separatist forces demanding independence of Abkhazia from Georgia. http://www.historyorb.com/russia/georgia.php Ethnic Georgians, who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces. Ethnic Armenians and RussiansHelen Krag and Lars Funch. The North Caucasus: Minorities at a Crossroads. (Manchester, December 1994) within Abkhazia's population, largely supported Abkhazians and many fought on their side. The separatists were supported by thousands of the North Caucasus and Cossack militants and by the Russian Federation forces stationed in and near Abkhazia.
Handling of this conflict was aggravated by the civil strife in Georgia proper between the supporters of the ousted Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and the post-coup government headed by Eduard Shevardnadze, as well as the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.
1992
August
14
Police forces had been sent to Abkhazia to defend communication means. The Abkhazian government was informed about this operation. The Sukhumi Battalion of Soso Akhalaia (former officer of the Sukhumi Police Office) that returned from the Tskhinvali region led the police. A Tbilisi police unit had followed the battalion led by David Zeikidze.
The first attack took place in Ochamchire, near the village of Okhurei where the Abkhaz militia fired upon the police escort.
The next attack in Agudzera destroyed one Georgian armored troop carrier.
Another attack had been carried out near the village of Machara. One Georgian had been wounded and one Abkhaz boevik, who was sitting on the roof of a building shooting at the moving column, was killed.
The ambushed Abkhaz boeviks blew up one Georgian armored troop carrier. For some reason, reporters from Russian TV immediately showed up and reported that Georgian troops entered Abkhazia with tanks and occupied Sukhumi.
To avoid further bloodshed, Georgian units moved up to the city suburb.
The separatists called for a mobilization (Sergei Shamba addressed the Abkhaz population, calling them to report to certain places, which were defined in advance). The Presidium of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, more accurately Vladislav Ardzinba, decided the further developments.
Armed Abkhaz separatists took control of strategic points in the city.
15 A small Georgian military unit had been dispatched to Gagra from the coast.
T. Sigua and J. Ioseliani arrived in Sukhumi for negotiations. It was decided to hold the negotiations in the Sukhumi Governmental Summer Residence, so-called Joseph Stalin's Dacha, but Sergei Bagapsh asked to change the place. The negotiators from the Georgian side were: T. Sigua, Jaba Ioseliani (members of the State Council), Tamaz Nadareishvili (Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia), V. Kolbaia (Deputy), N. Meskhia (Deputy), A. Ioseliani (Head of the Security Service of Abkhazia); from the Abkhazian side: S. Bagapsh (First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Abkhazia), Z. Labakhua (Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Abkhazia, A. Ankvab (Deputy, Ministry of Interior), Z. Achba, S. Shamba, D. Pilia (Deputies). T. Sigua informed them that police forces had entered Abkhazia with the aim to defend communication systems, which was negotiated with Ardzinba. This information surprised the Abkhazian side. Sigua requested a meeting with Ardzinba, but he refused and avoided the possibility of dialogue. Z. Labakhua offered to control the railroads and other communication means with a group of 200 Georgians and 200 Abkhazians from the Psou River down to the Samegrelo Region. The agreement was elaborated but not signed. Sergei Bagapsh requested time to leave Sukhumi. The negotiation ended. The Abkhaz again tried to extend the time.
17
The Abkhazians placed pickets along the Bzibi highway.
A few hours later Georgians posted pickets near the village of Kolkhida.
Hostages were exchanged in Kolkhida.
Negotiating with the Georgians, the Head of the Gagra Administration announced an evacuation of holidaymakers.
18
The Government of Vladislav Ardzinba left Sukhumi taking all types of road vehicles and the medicines and narcotics from the main drug warehouse.
Well-organized snipers from the building rooftops, which resulted in casualties resisted the Georgian formations. Later Georgians made a stand at the Gumista River. They certainly could move ahead as Abkhazians escaped in panic in the direction of Gudauta. Georgian journalist Alexander Berulava, who had been taken hostage by the Abkhazian, was delivered from Gudauta to Gagra.
The Ministry of Defense, due to increasing criminal activity in Sukhumi, declared an emergency situation and curfew from August 18 until September 18. General G. Gulua was appointed Commandant.
The Caucasus Mountain Peoples’ Congress decides to dispatch groups of volunteer fighters to Abkhazia.
19
Georgian troops took control over the city of Gagra. Abkhazians left the city.
B. Pirtskheliani from the "Mkhedrioni" formation became Commandant of Gagra. Member of the Chavchavadze Society, J. Lataria, was his deputy.
The members of the evacuation Commission arrived in Gagra.
20
The leaders of the Northern Caucasian Republics, Rostov, Stavropol and Krasnodar oblasts held an anti-Georgian meeting in Armavir. In an appeal to Yeltsin they expressed concern about Russia's "late" reaction to the developments in Abkhazia.
Medicines delivered from Tbilisi were delivered to the Gudauta Regional Hospital (i.e. to the Abkhazian side).
15000 Russian holidaymakers were evacuated from Abkhazia – announced the Georgian Deputy Minister of Health Avtandil Jorbenadze.
22
Abkhaz formations, together with confederants, crossed the Gumista River, but Georgian troops pushed them back.
Georgian Commander in Chief G. Karkarashvili, giving a rash estimation to the military operations in Abkhazia made a speech on television.
24
Abkhazian fighters detained Georgian A. Chkheidze from Eshera and took him to Gudauta, where Chkheidze with other three Georgians were mistreated.
26
Armed Chechens mistreated V. Maliuk from Eshera, just because he expressed his sympathy to Georgians. They also raped Georgian teenager L.Ts-ia. In the village of Orjonikidze Abkhazians killed Georgian couple N. and R. Lobzhanidze.NP ‘Abkhazetis Khma’, 1993, January 17
30
A group of Armenian parliamentarians, led by Seiran Bagdasarian, member of the "Dashnaktsuitun" arrived in Sukhumi from Tbilisi. On Sunday they met Tamaz Nadareishvili and other Georgian Deputies. They visited Armenian villages controlled by Georgians and went to meet Ardzinba. They wanted to learn about security issues of the Armenian population in Abkhazia.
31
The Georgian military group moved to Kvemo Eshera but met the resistance of the Russian military unit located in that area. The group took control over oil storage and the mill–factory.
The office of the Red Cross of Sochi city gave 50 000 roubles worth of medicines to Gudauta hospital. Northern Caucasians sent 350 tons of humanitarian cargo to Abkhazia. 57 refugees from Abkhazia got 42 000 roubles compensation in Sochi.
G. Lominade had been approved as chairman of an ad hoc commission to exercise executive functions.
Humanitarian and other facilitator commissions were created. G. Nachkebia and E. Astemirova were in charge of the commission.
September
1
Respecting St. Virgin's Day, the leadership of the Sukhumi garrison released 17 Abkhazian hostages.
Abkhazian TV broadcast had been renewed. Vakhtang Kholbaia was in charge to organize the TV broadcasting.
Central Georgian TV transmissions reached over the whole of Abkhazia; Abkhazian broadcast only for the Gudauta region and part of the Gagra zone.
According to the figures of Ministry of Health of Abkhazia, since the beginning of the war 130 people of different nationalities had been killed and 510 wounded.
3
In Moscow with the mediation and [facilitation of Russia, Boris Yeltsin and Eduard Shevardnadze had signed a ceasefire document where a separation of forces was agreed. The document defined Abkhazians and Georgians in Abkhazia as opposing sides, and that is why Vladislav Ardzinba and Tamaz Nadareishvili also signed the document.
5
The Georgian side carried out the implementation of the agreement and they left the positions. The local population remained defenseless. Abkhaz formations violated the ceasefire and held the new positions, annihilating Georgian dwellers of the village of Kvemo Eshera.
16
The separatists adopted a resolution "On Military Aggression of the Georgian State Council against Abkhazia" and "The genocide of the Abkhaz people".
22
The ad hoc Commission on stabilization of the situation in Abkhazia created branch offices in the cities and villages providing assistance to displaced people.
24
Russian law-enforcement bodies detained the President of the Mountain Peoples’ Confederation M. Shanibov. The federation summoned the Congress.
24–25
Sergey Baburin (Russian Deputy) initiated a closed session of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation. They discussed the Northern Caucasian consequences resulting from the conflict in Abkhazia. The session adopted a resolution on the "Social-Political situation in North Caucasia" that the Georgian Government identified as interference in Georgia's internal affairs.
27
The president of the Mountain Peoples’ confederation Musa Shanibov was released.
The leaders of the Abkhaz separatists declared a suspension of the withdrawal of military formations of the Mountain Peoples’ confederation.
30
Georgian Governmental forces ousted Gamsakhurdia's military formations from Senaki.
10–30
According to the Moscow agreement, the Georgian side withdrew [military forces from the Gagra zone. Only local volunteers remained in the city.
October
1
Gamsakhurdia's supporters' military formations seized the town Khobi.
2–3
Abkhaz, Russian and North Caucasian joint troops attacked Gagra using the newest military techniques, tanks and aviation. Russian navy blocked the seawater area. The military vessels: SKP "Bezukoriznenniy", "KIL-25", "BTH-38", "BM-66", "Golovin", Landing 345, aviation 529 (SU-25, SU-27, MI-8) and anti-aircraft 643 regiments commended by the first deputy Minister of Defense of Russian Federation G. Kolesnikov took part in the occupation of Gagra zone. Russian tanker "Don" delivered to Gudauta 420 tons of fuel.
3
With the active participation of Musa Shanibov, an Extraordinary Congress of the Mountain Peoples’ confederation had been called.
The organization got a new name – Caucasus Peoples’ Confederation. Assembly] decided to support the separatists in Abkhazia and involve Cossacks in military operations.
3–4
Abkhazs and formations of Confederation] attacked the position Dvurechia on the Gumista River to the direction of the villages Kamani and Shroma. Georgians repelled attack and the fighters of the Third Brigade of Georgian National Guard destroyed the technique and overwhelmed the enemy.
5
Russian military forces brought down Georgian helicopter MI-8.
11
Georgia held the first post-communist parliamentary elections. Gagra, Gudauta and Tkvarcheli regions were under the control of separatists; Gamsakhurdia's supporters boycotted the elections in Gali. The rest of Abkhazian regions participated in the election.
13
Georgian fighter SU-25 had been brought down.
18
The President of Caucasus Peoples’ Confederation, Musa Shanibov arrived in Gudauta and established Strategic Headquarter of the Confederation.
31
L. Kobalia, together with other supporters of ex-President Gamsakhurdia arrived in Sukhumi to play the role of mediator in the negotiations with Abkhaz side.
November
5
L. Kobalia arrived in Gudauta and offered the role of mediator together with the representatives of Dzhokhar Dudayev.