Abkhazia today

UN- ABKHAZIA
You can’t go straight to Abkhazia. The only way is through Tbilisi or Moscow to Sochi. If you go from Tbilisi, then Abkhazia looks just like a country called “UN”. The flight from Tbilisi to Sukhumi and back costs $280 and you pay the UN. The journey begins with a hangar in Tbilisi Airport for UN planes. You are served- by the fUN forces. You are transferred by an AN-24 plane with UN markings to Senaki (still Georgian territory but on the verge of Abkhazia). In Senaki – a staging post- but it looks like a UN base. Nobody speaks either Russian or Georgian. Not a hint of Russia or Georgia. All the services and transport at the airport are provided by the UN. On the airfield I catch sight of a cheery rotund man of Slavic appearance with a luscious light brown moustache , says, in broken English “No photography allowed”. So I speak to him in Russian. He denies this, saying “Oh I’m not local…I am Simon”. And indeed, on Simon’s chest- UN accreditation. In fact, even the military style toilet cubicles carry the UN logo. Senaki is like a planet outside the geo-political reality of a world map. It is like you’re in an American war film, all about fighting World Evil with the powers of Good that flow from Capitol Hill. The badges on the uniformed military passengers flash by, German, Czech, English French and others…They can all go to Abkhazia. It’s just the Georgians who can’t. Simon shouts: “Sukhumi!” The Mi-8 with the UN symbol is ready for boarding. Finally the 45 minute journey over absolutely desolate shore begins. The feeling that one is in an alien zone merely increases- there is no one beneath us. And where are the thousands of holidaymakers? There are, somewhere, “Russian tourists”, who in an ever increasing stream flood to Abkhazia. But that’s not here. The mis-en-scene of Senaki is repeated in Sukhumi airport. Here too- everything belongs to the UN. Even the palms too, probably. People with UN certification on their chests, UN cars instead of taxis, which take the passengers of UN helicopters to their barricaded territory where UN workers like. The streets- along which UN corteges also move- are deserted too. People are only rarely to be seen, cars, rarer still. By the roadside, ruined houses are more common than houses you could imagine living in. Behind the high fences- Babylon. People from all countries and continents. An international town in a town with an undefined legal status. You meet the Egyptian general Hussein Abashi- recently arrived- a commander here – quite picturesque. Under him serve 119 military observers- officers from the armies of 23 countries: Germany, Denmark, France, Hungary, Albania, Austria etc. None from Georgia, none from Russia. The General explains, that their business is to control the situation in Gali, Zugdidi and Kodorsk ravines, (although since 3 members of a UN mission were taken hostage in Kodorsk Ravine on the 5th June 2003 , UN patrols of that territory were forbidden in spite of the fact that the hostages were freed). The General is precise, technological – western style. The computer rhythmically changes the slides that are screened against the wall: “The UN in Gali”, “Mission in the Ravine”, “helping restore electricity”, everywhere the smell of instant nescafe, nothing to link this place to its surroundings. With equal accuracy this place could be, let’s say, on an island in the Pacific Ocean. So where is this Abkhazian sovereignty, for which so many lives were given?

Russia- Abkhazia
To find this place you must go straight out into the unknown- beyond the fence. You must leave the land of the UN behind. Exits are organised as if in wait for an unknown enemy. The security regime is strict. The streets of Sukhumi are strewn with litter and debris. No trade is especially noticeable, there are few shops. Half the houses are obviously uninhabited. Walls have collapsed and trees grow among them- absolute poverty artfully hidden by extravagant tropical greenery. And where traces of human habitation are visible- everything is faded, unpainted for 20 years, with bricks grinning through the plaster. Beautiful skeletons can be seen- southern smallholdings gone to pieces. Very “Back in the USSR”- so many films were shot about the stagnation in the 70s and 80s in this scenery. For me- this is a search for the “state information agency of Abkhazia ‘APSNI’ where they hand out accreditation for meetings with the most important people in Sovereign Abkhazia. Deserted. Everywhere the smell of urine or water, rusty water flows in abundance from some unknown spring- and people collect it in plastic bottles. “APSNI” turns out to be a room on the fourth floor of a typical Soviet Regional HQ, now in ruins. They’re two a penny back home, only they have had the “benefit” of a “Euro-renovation” and now house somebody’s comfortable offices. Women with soviet style makeup walk the corridors of the Sukhumi regional HQ- the “Euro-renovation” hasn’t quite got here. And this testifies to nothing other than poverty, the first thing that women of any corner of the former USSR buy with extra money- good makeup. A tough old boot in the “APSNI” offices without introducing herself, explains that nobody gets seen by anyone until she says so, and hands me a document for which I am never, subsequently asked for. The “important people” are just round the corner from “APSNI”. It takes 2 minutes to get there, all around- the very centre of Sukhumi, and as few people as ever. Those who we do manage to speak to, lower their eyes and try desperately not to answer the question straight, questions like “What are wages here like for most folk?” Only the most tenacious interrogator will come up with an answer- and a vague one at that “something like 1000” “1000 what?” “ Roubles of course”. Can you imagine, that in Chechnya, fighting for it s independence, Georgian currency is in circulation? In any case, our roubles have not brought happiness and prosperity to Abkhazia. You don’t see many solvent or happy people here,.. And there’s the past glory obviously lost: a light breeze carries not a hint of the once famous Abkhazian coffee. The Government of Abkhazia- housed in a building of the Soviet Regional Committee with all the inescapable signs of decay and lack of repair. “On duty” that day- only two of the top bods of the self proclaimed republic- the rest- on leave. Astamur Tania, Presidential Aide on political matters (President Ardzinba has been seriously ill for 2 years) and the minister of foreign affairs: Igor Akhba. Mister Akhba has been Minister for all of 2 months. Mister Tania meanwhile is a much better known figure- an ardent advocate of Abkhazian independence (from Georgia). From the office of Minister Akhba, decorated in Soviet Style: sofa, decanter, two glasses, Abkhazia- occupied by the UN- seems to declare itself “an independent state with future associate membership of the Russian Federation”. But neither he nor Mr Tania are worried at all by the expansion of international forces- people from all over the world. They are only worried by the possible presence of Georgians. In order to keep the Georgians out in future – on the 3rd of October there will be Presidential elections in Abkhazia.

It is thought that around 200 thousand people will vote, out of the 320 thousand who live there. Before the war there were 530 thousand inhabitants. Only 18% of them are Abkhazian- the rest- all the people of the soviet international- 75% of whom took Russian citizenship after Soviet. Indeed- without an agreement with Georgia, from whose territory according to the political map of the world this is drawn, as is the UN territory, Abkhazia nonetheless exists. According to what laws they will vote is not clear from here. And will the results of the local elections be endorsed by Alexander Veshnyakov? This is a secret about which the political elite speak with an easy half smile, as if to say: work it out for yourself…

But I don’t understand. The elections on the 3rd of October will not be recognised by the international community and there will be no observers. The official opening of the pre election campaign – on the 3rd of September- is just like back home. The likely candidate is Alexander Ankav ( From a social- political organisation called “Renaissance”). The three main candidates appear thus: Ankav, Raul Khadzhamba – the current PM, and Sergei Bagapsh ( Head of BlackSea Energy- the Abkhazian version of RAO_UES who is part of the political factions “One Abkhazia” and “Amtsakhara”).

“Do you see- we have complete democracy?” Asks Mr Akhba “many political forces- but all united under one slogan: Freedom from Georgia and associate membership of the Russian Federation” “What do you mean by ‘associate membership’? and what about Georgia- they might not agree?” I ask. He answers “De Jure and de Facto we are independent from Georgia” the minister explains, “Since the war we have ad no state- legal relationship. We tried to find a big compromise- the creation of a unified state with Georgia, but Tbilisi refused to take part in the discussions. In 1999 we had a referendum as a consequence of which the act of Abkhazian independence was passed”

“But what does that entail? What will be yours and what will be ours?” The minister struggled to reply. Astamur Tania explains: “ A common defence policy, customs, border control, currency unification” “ And what then of your sovereignty?” There is no answer. “You are citizens of where?” “Both- the Russian Federation. Our people. The minister of foreign affairs has had residence permit in Moscow for 38 years. “ Mr Tania adds “I have dual citizenship- Abkhazian and Russian”. “And how does an Abkhazian passport look?” “It doesn’t exist yet. The distribution of Abkhazian passports is reaching final stages of completion” “They are printing them- where?” “ Abroad…” Mr Tania says, uncertain. “What is the budget of Abkhazia for 2004?” “About 15 million dollars- small, I know” “And what does it consist of?” “Mainly the tourism resort industry, over the past 2 years the stream of Russian tourists has increased by 6 times. The threat made by Saakashvili that he would shoot civilians here has in no way affected their desire to come here. Thanks, of course, to the position of the Russian leadership who have declared that they will defend their own with allavailable means, including military. The budget also contains the customs earnings from the RF and the sea. All agricultural produce is transported to Russia” “What is the tax in Abkhazia?” Neither the minister nor the Presidential Aide could answer this, and shifted in their seats. Taxes, it seems, are not paid- and this is a zone of Russian communism. “Where do you hand in your tax declaration?” Both the minister and the aide shrugged their shoulders. “Tax is deducted from our wages” “Where?” “In Moscow”.

An unpleasant conversation about important details merges with the aroma of Sukhumi coffee. At last! The elegant cups are carried into the office by Mr Akhba’s secretary. And the conversation takes a turn for the better, to history: we talk of fortresses dating back to the Slavo-Varangian times, of Russo- Abkhaz links. “Many people from Russia fought for our independence in the early 1990’s, there were many volunteers back then, irrespective of Georgian propaganda, We are grateful to them” Minister Akhba recounts proudly. “Gelaev and Basaev too?” “Gelaev fought here for a whole week. Basaev commanded a battalion” “ So in Abkhazia he is considered a hero?” “For his military service he won medals- the order of Leon. Leon was an Abkhazian tsar. “ “If Basaev turns up here- will Abkhazia treat him as a hero?” Minister Akhbe struggles to reply, and Mr Tania comes to his rescue: “Many years have passed. Circumstances have changed. Gelaev carried out a raid from the Kodorsk Ravine under cover from the Georgian government, and therefore Gelaev is no longer considered a hero” “ And Basaev? Will he be handed over to Russia, if he appears in Abkhazia?” “Yes- we have an agreement of mutual help with Russia, we are certain that cooperation with Russia will ensure stability to the region” “Could you not then become part of Georgia for the sake of this stability?” “ We exclude any form of unification with Georgia. History has fully excluded it” “ And is the Abkhazian diaspora ready to support you?” “It is ready. More than 700 thousand Abkhaz live round the world. We are interested in their naturalisation. But there are obstacles. Their forefathers left this land more than 150 years ago and now have adapted to the conditions in other countries- lets say- more civilised. Transport is also very difficult. You can only use the airport with the authorisation of international organisations, Everything has to go through Sochi. Now the railway is undergoing total repairs and it will be possible to travel from the Russo- Abkhaz border to Sukhumi. In the first quarter of October, probably, the first train will run. But the Georgian side opposes this. We want to establish a transport corridor through to Armenia, Georgia is against that also, for geopolitical reasons. Now Armenia has the most expensive economy in the world. Georgia practically supports Armenian isolation, just as Armenia is the one strategic partner Russia has today in the Southern Caucasus. Apart from us, the US is fighting for influence here. Russian influence is being undermined- new forms of communication are developing which are not connected with the Russian Federation. So here- all Russia has left is us- and Armenia”

The politics here is clear, but something else is just as plain: Abkhazia is a long way from any kind of independence. On the one hand- it is a territorial appendage of Russia, where there are no laws, and is therefore a “black hole”. But on the other hand, Abkhazia is an international enclave- and it is worth the chartered flight Tbilisi-Senaki-Sukhumi to understand that what today could have been Georgia, has been handed to Russia. A final detail: in Sukhumi airport- arrivals and departures lounge- there is a notice “ Abkhazian State Airlines” – it offers flights to the sea and to Abkhazia. Needless to say, the sign is in English. The advertisement is accompanied by a photograph of a Soviet Military Plane. Military tourism?

To be continued.

Anna Politkovskaya, Special correspondent Novaya gazeta in Sukhumi, 02-09-04