Saturday, May 26, 2012

Caucasus Report

Abkhaz Leader Survives Yet Another Assassination Attempt

Aleksandr Ankvab poses with his portrait presented to him by journalists during a news conference in Sukhumi in August, shortly after being pronounced Abkhaz president.

Related Articles

TEXT SIZE - +

February 22, 2012

De facto Abkhaz President Aleksandr Ankvab escaped unscathed this morning an attack on his five-car motorcade as he was driving from his home in Gudauta to Sukhumi, the breakaway republic's capital. The perpetrators exploded a remote-controlled bomb then opened fire, killing two of Ankvab's bodyguards and severely injuring a third.

It was the sixth attempt in the last seven years to assassinate Ankvab, who was elected president of the breakaway republic in August with 59 percent of the vote following the untimely death of incumbent Sergei Bagapsh.

Ankvab, 58, is a career Interior Ministry official who served as prime minister during Bagapsh's first presidential term (2005-09) then as vice president following Bagapsh's reelection in late 2009 for a second term. Dour, humorless, and sarcastic, he is nonetheless respected for his zero tolerance of crime and corruption. That single-mindedness is the most likely reason why he has been repeatedly targeted for assassination: in February and April 2005, June and July 2007, and September 2010. In the Caucasus, only Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov has a more impressive track record as a survivor.

It is not immediately clear whether today's attempt on Ankvab's life is to be attributed to his ongoing efforts to eradicate corruption or to the acrimonious dispute with Russia over ownership of Soviet-era real estate, or whether there is a connection with the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 10, in which corruption and economic stagnation are key issues.

In December, Ankvab called for legal measures against anyone involved in the ongoing embezzlement of funds provided by Russia, which provided 9.9 billion rubles ($332 million) in subsidies in 2010-11 alone.

The news agency Kavkaz-uzel.ru quoted unnamed Abkhaz officials as excluding the possibility of any Georgian involvement in this morning's attack.

Tags: Abkhazia

This forum has been closed.
Comment Sorting
Comments
     
by: Darkest-skinned-Arab from: Most-hottest-deserts
February 22, 2012 13:43
This is an old man. And Abkhazia needs a young leader. A young and "Muslim" and anti-communist leader to fight against Russians and Georgians.

In Response
by: Bill Webb from: Phoenix Arrizona US
February 23, 2012 13:49
I don't often wish that I was young again because I realize how stupid I was back then. Religious affiliation is not a prerequisite for any political office, but murderers and other criminals are not eligible for political office of any kind.
In Response
by: Mike from: US
February 23, 2012 18:02
Are you insane? "fight against Russians and Georgians"? LOL

the only reason why Georgia hasn't returned the territory back under its power is because the Russian troops are standing there like if it was Stalingrad back in WWII. HAHA

Abkhazia is a part of Georgia pure and simple. After massacring nearly 15 thousand ethnic Georgians and forcing a quarter million to flee the region, you have the balls to stand there and root for the baby killing terrorists? WOW

In Response
by: Auxillarius from: Roman-IVX-Legion
February 24, 2012 08:24
Georgian propogand is not consistent. Some of them says "5000", others say "25.000", this micky from US says "15.000" ? :) its comic, that agitation of Georgians, about so-called "pure georgians who forced migration and killed..." by barbarian Abkhazians. Abkhazetis are 100.000 people in the Abkhazia, Georgia's population is 5 million and more ! How they can kill you ? are they super men ? Or you mum's shaky little boys ?

We can talk is there any "pure" Georgians in the world ? You are some of old Greek guys, and you assimilated Caucasian native peoples. Georgian speaking people, true one.

Georgia is "a native ally" of Russian orthodox army. We remember you greeko guys ! You were calling Russian Tsar army to defend you from native Caucasians... Take your god of sun Christo, and get out from Caucasus, go to Vatican. Who wants you in Caucasus ? Armenian loves Georgians, Georgians love Russians. Christians love Christians.
In Response
by: Rasto from: the office
February 24, 2012 13:43
Helpful Auxilliarius - google something about Abkhazian -Georgian war and you will find soon why and how many ethnic civil Georgians in Abkhazia were killed and by whom...I thought you know that from mid 19th century where Muhajirs were forced out of Abkhazia, the predominant religion amongst currenly about 70 000 Abkhaz ( in Abkhazia) is Christianism. Taking into account 40 000 Armenians and about same size Mengrelian minority in Abkhazia the Christian religion is absolutely prevalent religion in Abkhazia, so I do not see mucxh point in your comments.
In Response
by: Michael from: NY
February 27, 2012 15:29
Your comment is quite simply wrong and untrue. If anything, territory that belongs to modern day "Georgia" was actually under Abkhazian control in the medieval ages, and before "Georgia" (which was actually seperate entities that had nothing to do with each other in those days as they are forced to do now) was an Islamic emirate under Persian/Arab control. I think you've been reading too many books printed in Tblisi. As far as "massacring" Georgians, that number is against an outright lie. Georgians themselves under Stalin, Gamsakhudria, and Shevernadze have become dangerously ultra-nationalist for the past several decades, no thanks to revisionist policies which sought to rewrite their history and brand them the natural leader of the Caucasus (again a ridiculous notion, since these Georgians are part of TRANS-Caucasus and not the Caucasus proper). I urge you to read materials written by neutral sources, not written by Georgians or their friends. Inasfar as the last comment regarding "muhajirs", this silly notion simply must end. These people were not deported because of their faith (the truth is most of them were forced to convert by Ottoman Turks when they were handed over by the Russians with help by Georgians, I may add) but because they dared to stand up and fight against Russia (something that Georgians never did) when they tried to conquer them. On that note, there were thousands of Georgian Muslims who were also expelled from their homes and shipped to the Ottoman Empire as well (the difference here being is that most of these people were already Muslims before being deported). That is why you find hundreds of thousands if not millions of "Georgian" (aka Laz, etc. which technically is not "Georgian" but perhaps more of an umbrella term like "American") in Turkey today who did not have to convert etc. to be a part of the Turkish societal fabric. Please do not write mistruths here or anywhere else with the intention of misleading people away from the truth. It is wrong and immoral.
In Response
by: eli
February 28, 2012 11:43
"Michael," weren't you "David" from LA before? Again with the references to "neutral sources". Please link to some you think are better than Wikipedia or other common online sources. Otherwise, you are just bleating nationalist propaganda. Again.
In Response
by: Rasto from: office
March 02, 2012 13:26
Michale from NY

There is no need to make yourself completelly fool on these dicussion fora:
..
The Laz (Lazi (ლაზი) or Lazepe (ლაზეფე) in Laz; Lazlar in Turkish; Lazi (ლაზი) or Č’ani (ჭანი) in Georgian) are an ethnic group native to the Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia. One of the chief tribes of ancient kingdom of Colchis, the Laz were initially early adopters of Christianity, and most of them subsequently converted to Sunni Islam during Ottoman rule of Caucasus in the 16th century.
...There are numerous ancient Georgian churches on the current Turkish territory as far from georgia as in Cappadocia. These are every year visited by thousands of pilgrims from Georgia so stop writing stupid horse shit for fools liks that Laz were not converted to Islam by Turks.. I am not fool, I know who Laz people are.
In Response
by: Michael from: NY
March 10, 2012 17:43
Eli, perhaps it is astonishing to you that I may share the ideas and opinions of others who believe Georgia is a menace, but that is actually the case. Thankfully, there are more of us who view Georgia with suspicion than you realize. and I don't need to go to "Wikipedia" to get my information about this issue because Wikipedia itself is full of lies and as I've heard from scholars, people who want to alter it to incorporate the Abkhaz side are not allowed to. So your comment is actually rather foolish. Please do not write if you have nothing to contribute. "National" propaganda is something you Georgians have perfected and I am not surprised you would accuse me of that. Sadly, I see this growing neo-fascism among your people and I hope that you quell this before it consumes your people and the world sees you for the racists little smurfs that you really are. TSK TSK TSK

About This Blog

Written by analyst Liz Fuller, the "Caucasus Report" blog will offer the sort of in-depth analysis that was the hallmark of the "RFE/RL Caucasus Report." It also aims, to borrow a metaphor from Tom de Waal, to act as a smoke detector, focusing attention on potential conflict situations and crises throughout the region.