Eduard Kokoity’s announcement came as a response to a recent decree by the Georgian president to appoint Dmitry Sanakoev head of the provisional administration in South Ossetia.
Photo: Valery Melnikov
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South Ossetia to Blockade Georgian Villages
The breakaway republic of South Ossetia announced on Thursday it would impose the blockade on Georgian-populated villages in the region. South Ossetia’s President Eduard Kokoity promised that the blockade would not be lifted until Georgia pulls out troops from the republic and calls back the Tbilisi-backed provisional administration.
“At 9 am, May 11, we are going to blockade all villages controlled by Georgian authorities and cut traffic on local highways,” the South Ossetian president told the Interfax news agency. The Georgian-populated villages will be ringed until Tbilisi pulls out troops from the region and withdraws the “self-constituted government of Dmitry Sanakoev,” Mr. Kokoity said, referring to a local “alternative” administration in South Ossetia.
South Ossetia’s leader said the republic made this decision to react to residents’ complaints of abuse and outrages committed by Georgian police officers, deployed in the region. “If Georgian population of the villages in South Ossetia ask for protection from those arms units, we will be ready to use force to eliminate them [Georgian troops],” Eduard Kokoity added.
Mr. Kokoity’s announcement came as a response to a recent decree by the Georgian president to appoint Dmitry Sanakoev head of the provisional administration in South Ossetia. Mr. Sanakoev is expected to address the Georgian parliament in the new capacity in Tbilisi on Friday. Tbilisi expects Sanakoev government to administer the region until federal officials regain full control in the self-proclaimed republic.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 11, 2007
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