The year in review-Georgia

Georgia

PATROLLING THE CEASEFIRE LINE
By Maj. Jannich Lund (Denmark),
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)

The day started at 07.10 hrs when the duty officer made radio checks with all personnel to ensure everything was in order, ready for another day's work. The morning briefing started at 08.00 hrs when the operation officer provided a bulletin of the latest developments and the day's patrol programme.

After that, I gave my briefing to the team that would be out patrolling with me that day - UN military observers from Egypt, Poland and Russia, and a locally-employed interpreter. In the briefing I highlighted the day's tasks and gave a rundown of the latest developments in our assigned area.

At 09.00 hrs the patrol left the sector headquarters in two bullet-proof cars. We headed for our first destination-a small village near the ceasefire line. We talked with the village mayor, as well as with a number of people we met in the streets. They seemed well disposed towards the UN, and we were able to get a clear picture of the situation in the village.

Just as we were heading out, a radio call came in from our sector commander. The local Georgian authorities had given him information on a possible ceasefire violation. The peacekeeping force of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - made up exclusively of 1,700 soldiers from the Russian Federation - had observed an armoured personnel carrier on the Georgian-controlled side of the Security Zone. If this proved to be true, it would be a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The sector commander ordered us to proceed to the spot immediately. When we passed through the area, however, we found no sign of an armoured vehicle. We then proceeded to the CIS forces checkpoint which had reported the sighting. The commander stated that he had not caught sight of any APC there, although he stated that he had observed six APCs on the Abkhaz-controlled

side of the ceasefire line. At this point everyone was really confused about what constituted facts and what represented misinformation. A meeting was arranged for 19.00 hours at the site on the ceasefire line.

Representatives from Georgia, Abkhazia, the CIS peacekeeping forces and both UNOMIG sectors - Gali, located on the Abkhaz side of the ceasefire line, and Zugdidi, located on the Georgian side - all participated. The meeting started with the Abkhazians claiming that they had observed an APC on the Georgian side. If no one could explain the reasons for its presence there, they would open fire on it.

If one of the parties in the conflict zone were to commence firing across the ceasefire line, it would represent a very serious development. One repercussion could be a resumption of hostilities. The UNOMIG sector commander explained that if any APC was present in the Security Zone, it was the job of the UN and CIS soldiers to ensure it was removed as rapidly as possible. Under no circumstances should the parties engage in firing across the ceasefire line. He was able to confirm that a UNOMIG patrol had been at the site and had found no evidence of any APC on the Georgian-controlled side of the line.

Later during the interchange the CIS soldiers stated that the check point commander had caught sight of their own APC - final proof that no APC from the parties had been present in the Security Zone.

By the time the meeting finished and we returned to sector headquarters, the tense situation had abated. The patrol had helped avert an escalation of the conflict, and a measured calm had been restored thanks to UNOMIG's presence.

That night I slept soundly, knowing that today our presence had made a difference.