The leader of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia stepped down on Tuesday. His resignation comes after days of unrest. Opposition supporters seized government buildings. More than a dozen people were injured.
The territory is located at the upper northwestern part of Georgia. It resembles a finger pointing to the west. It shares a northern border with Russia. The southwestern border meets the Black Sea. Abkhazia’s mountains and Black Sea beaches make it a popular destination for Russian tourists.
Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993. Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory in a short war with Russia in 2008.
On Friday, demonstrators in Abkhazia stormed key government buildings. They were protesting proposed measures. Those would allow Russians to buy property in Abkhazia’s tourist seaside region.
The protesters demanded the ouster of Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania. He is backed by Moscow. Bzhania said he would resign if protesters gave up control of the buildings. But the opposition refused to leave until he stepped down. Protesters said they were not against Abkhazia’s close ties with Moscow. But they accused Bzhania of trying to use these relations for his own benefit.
According to Russian state media outlet Sputnik, Abkhazian Vice President Badra Gunba says the two sides negotiated for more than nine hours.
On Tuesday, an agreement finally arrived. Bzhania submitted his resignation. The opposition consented to leave the occupied buildings.
Abkhazia’s Parliament approved Bzhania’s resignation the same afternoon. Gunba then became the province’s acting president. According to Russia’s TASS state news agency, Parliament will consider the timing of new presidential elections next week.
At least 14 people were injured Friday when protesters clashed with police.
Lawmakers had gathered at the region’s parliament building to discuss ratifying the new measures. However, the session was postponed as demonstrators broke down the gate. They streamed inside. Some threw rocks at police. The officers responded with tear gas.
Last week, the arrest of five opposition figures at a similar demonstration also set off widespread protests. People blocked bridges leading to Sukhumi, the seaside capital of Abkhazia.
Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country. However, many Abkhazians see the region of about 245,000 people operating as a client state of Moscow. A client state is one that is economically, politically, or militarily dependent on another country.
Most Abkhazians want to be independent of both Georgia and Russia. But some analysts suggest that Russia wants to take over the region.
