SUKHUMI, June 22 (Itar-Tass) —— Abkhaz Security Council Secretary Stanislav Lakoba reported tensions in the Gali district bordering on Georgia. He said the problem was discussed at a meeting chaired by the Abkhaz president and it was decided to continue the discussion at the Abkhaz Security Council.
“Tensions have been growing. There have been terrorist attacks on police officers and village administration members. Casualties are large. They kill ethnic Georgians for cooperation with Abkhaz authorities, and the killings are demonstrative. The trails lead to the Georgian territory, from where the assailants come,” Lakoba said.
“The [Abkhaz] Security Council has certain concerns about future developments,” he said, recalling reports of the Georgian opposition on the formation of ‘death squadrons’ in Megrelia, a territory bordering Abkhazia, which might be used to fight Georgian opposition members. “Interestingly, many Georgian terrorists who operated in Abkhazia when [Georgian President Eduard] Shevardnadze was in office and were convicted when [Mikhail] Saakashvili was elected for president are released ahead of time. They have been trained in Anaklia by Georgian security services and Western instructors. These groups come to the Gali district to perform acts of sabotage and terrorism,” Lakoba said.
“It is quite possible that Tbilisi authorities are preparing for the parliamentary election of October 2012 and the presidential election of March 2013 and will try to prevent possible actions of the opposition,” he said.