Abkhazia declares ‘state of war’

The separatist region of Abkhazia has declared a 10-day ‘state of war’ in its territories close to the de facto borders with Georgia.

“By a decree of Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh, a state of war has been introduced in part of the republic’s territory,” Interfax cited the decree as reading.

According to Interfax, the 10-day state of war will be effective from midnight Sunday until next Monday.

The report comes after Georgian military forces began a large-scale military offensive against South Ossetia on Thursday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced later that the Russian Army had no choice but to ‘force the Georgian side into peace’.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have run their own affairs without international recognition since they started fighting for independence from Georgia in the early 1990s.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Sunday that it would be practically impossible to convince the Ossetians and the Abkhaz to remain under Georgian rule.

CS/HGH