[dehai-news] (TimesOnline) South Ossetia seeks to become part of the Russian Federation


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From: Yemane Natnael (yemane_natnael@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Sep 11 2008 - 09:03:45 EDT


South Ossetia seeks to become part of the Russian Federation

September 11, 2008

Richard Beeston In Sochi

South Ossetia, the breakaway Georgian republic and scene of last month’s
bitter war, announced today that it will seek to become part of the Russian
Federation.

Eduard Kokoity, the President of the tiny enclave which was recognised only a
few days ago as an independent state by the Kremlin, said that independence
was no longer his goal. Instead he told a group of western journalists and
academics that his aim was reuniting Ossetia with its countrymen across the
border in North Ossetia, becoming part of Russia.

”We will be part of the Russian Federation,” he said. “It [South Ossetia] is
not going to be an independent country.”

The move, if carried out, would effectively mean that Russia will be annexing
part of another country’s territory by force. It will likely provoke an
angry response from Georgia, its ally America and other nations concerned
about the redrawing of the map of the Caucasus.

Mr Kokoity argued however that he was simply trying to redress an historic
injustice that divided the Ossetian nation. He insisted that the move did
not represent a threat to the region’s stability, but was simply fulfilling
an oath undertaken by his ancestors in 1774 to remain loyal to the Kremlin.

Whatever the reason, the move is likely to exacerbate tensions at a time when
the international community had hoped that the crisis in the Caucasus was
calming down.

This week President Nicolas Sarkozy of France finalised a peace deal with
President Dimitry Medvedev of Russia that should entail the complete
withdrawal of all Russian troops from undisputed Georgian territory and the
deployment of 200 European Union monitors to observe the ceasefire.

Since then, however, Russia has announced that it plans to base 7,600 troops
in the two breakaway provinces. Meanwhile the US is drawing up plans to
rearm the Georgian military which was badly mauled in last month’s conflict.

President Kokoity’s announcement that he was willing to renounce independence
in favour of joining Russia was in contrast to President Sergei Bagapsh of
Abkhazia. He said that his tiny coastal statelet was determined to become a
fully independent state under international law even if its sovereignty has
so far been recognised only by Russia and Nicaragua.

The leaders of both of the Georgian breakaway regions were united on one
point, however. They both rejected any talks with the Government of
President Mikhail Saakashvili, the Georgian leader. Both men said that no
compromise was possible while he remained in power.

”Georgia must not make another war,” said Mr Bagapsh. “Georgia dances well,
plays football well but war is not their thing.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4731307.ece

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