2001 Kodori crisis

2001 Kodori crisis
Part of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Second Chechen War
Map of Abkhazia showing the location of the Kodori Gorge
Date October 4 - October 18, 2001 Location Kodori Valley, Abkhazia Result Abkhazian victory
Belligerents
Abkhaz military	Chechen militants Georgian guerrillas[1]
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Ruslan Gelayev
Casualties and losses
At least 40 killed[2]

The 2001 Kodori crisis was a confrontation in the Kodori Valley, Abkhazia, in October 2001 between Georgians (who were also supported by ethnic Chechen fighters) and Abkhazian forces.^[3] The crisis was largely neglected by world media, focused on the concurrent US attack on Afghanistan. The fighting killed 40 people.^[2]

Timeline

On October 4, 2001, a group of Chechen and Georgian fighters led by the commander Ruslan Gelayev entered the gorge from the Georgian side and attacked the village Giorgievskoe.^[2] Then, on October 8, 2001, a helicopter carrying United Nations observers was shot down over Kodori, killing nine.^[4]

Aftermath

On 5 August 2004, Valery Chkhetiani, one of the Georgian fighters captured by Abkhazian forces, suffered a stroke during a walk and was brought to a hospital, where he died two days later, on 7 August. Chkhetiani, a resident of Kutaisi and born in 1973, had been condemned to a prison sentence of 15 years.^[5]

On 29 July 2006, Mart Laar, former prime minister of Estonia and then adviser to the Georgian president, was quoted as saying that the Kodori conflict was engineered by Russia. Laar also warned that future provocations of Georgia by Russia are to be expected, but that Georgia has prepared itself to make it through any challenges posed by Russia.^[6]

On 30 April 2008, Russia accused Georgia of massing 1500 troops in the Kodori region in preparation to invade Abkhazia. Georgia maintained the troops were present in accordance with a 1994 accord that allowed for peacekeeping forces in the region and were essential to maintaining order after the 2001 Kodori crisis. Russia responded by deploying troops to the region, further escalating tensions between Russia and Georgia. These forces would later take part in the war in 2008.^[7]

References

Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
Timeline	Abkhazian side	Georgian side
1989 Sukhumi riots 1991 Abkhazian New Union Treaty referendum 1991–1993 Georgian Civil War 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia 1992 Battle of Sukhumi October 1992 Battle of Gagra 1992–1993 Siege of Tkvarcheli July 1993 Kamani massacre September 1993 Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns September 1993 Sukhumi massacre Ethnic cleansing of Georgians 1993 Sochi agreement 1993–2009 United Nations observer mission 1994 Moscow agreement 1998 War in Abkhazia 2001 Kodori crisis 2006 Kodori crisis 2007 Georgia helicopter incident 2007 Georgia plane downing incident 2007 Bokhundjara incident 2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns 2008 Khurcha incident 2008 Abkhazia bombings 2008 Achamkhara incident 2008 Russo-Georgian War Battle off the coast of Abkhazia Battle of the Kodori Valley 2008 Post-war events 2009 Russo-Georgian relations 2014 Abkhazian revolution	Military forces: Military of Abkhazia Abkhazian Air Force Bagramyan Battalion Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Key leaders: Vladislav Ardzinba Sergei Bagapsh Alexander Ankvab Raul Khajimba	Military forces: Georgian Armed Forces Georgian Air Force Coast Guard of Georgia Mkhedrioni White Legion Forest Brothers Key leaders: Zviad Gamsakhurdia † Eduard Shevardnadze Mikheil Saakashvili Giorgi Margvelashvili