International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN)

Die jüngste Eskalation im seit langem schwelenden Konflikt zwischen Georgien und Russland um das von Georgien beanspruchte, mehrheitlich von Russen bewohnte Südossetien hat weltweit für Bestürzung gesorgt. Nachdem georgische Truppen einen Großteil Südossetiens besetzt hatten, schickte das Moskauer Verteidungsministerium Panzerkolonnen in Richtung der umkämpften Hauptstadt Zchinwali. Die Gewalt hätte verhindert werden können, wären früh genug direkte Verhandlungen aufgenommen worden, sagt der Tifliser Friedensaktivist George Khutsishvili im Interview mit derStandard.at.

Russian leaders qualified their military operation in Georgia in August 2008 as “a reaction to the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia”. What they have never mention is that the same Russia – along with the entire international community - adhered to recognition of territorial integrity of Georgia - including Abkhazia and South Ossetia - in all post-Soviet years; basing on which logic, the Georgian attempt to regain Tskhinvali by force qualifies as a disproportionate use of violence by the state towards its own insurgent province, while “aggression” usually pertains to actions towards a different state. This is said in order to stay just, not to justify violence.

Since the start of the crisis, a new informational war has been spiralled across the huge media space controlled or influenced by Russia. Russian media sources reiterated the official version of events: Georgians have launched an unprovoked surprise attack on South-Ossetian city of Tskhinvali which has destroyed the city completely, killed around 2000 civilians, and made the rest flee from the area.