INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS
NEWS RELEASE
Mines and unexploded ordnances continue to kill and maim civilians during many years after a conflict has ended. To minimise the risk, it is important to raise awareness on the danger posed by these explosive remnants of war (ERW) among the population and offer alternative solutions.
The First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zelig held a working meeting with the Heads of District Administrations of South Ossetia. The Director General of the State Unitary Enterprise “Energo-Resurs – South Ossetia” Alan Gabaraev attended the meeting.
The discussion focused on the issues related to road connection with between the city and rural areas of the Republic.
Alan Gabaraev reported on electricity cuts off during the weekend. According to him, the problems were linked to breakdown at the main electricity line from Russia, noting that the damage was restored by South Ossetian electricians.
Maxim Topilin, Deputy Minister of Health of the RF, is visiting South Ossetia. As VadimBrovtsev, the RSO Prime Minister, told RES Agency the RF Deputy Health Minister arrived in South Ossetia to settle the problems related to rehabilitation of health strictures.
“We have had a meeting, established a commission, which will prepare a technical task on rehabilitation of the Republican hospital, we have decided to try to rehabilitate children’s and adults’ policlinics before the end of the year. There were no allocations for the rehabilitation of these sites but we will settle this issue in the nearest future”, said Brovtsev.
On 26 October, at 7:30 duty team of the RF FSB border-guards in South Ossetia has detained 5 Georgian citizens at attempted border-crossing in the area of the Ossetian village of Balta, reported the RSO KGB Press-Service.
The interrogation findings state that Tamaz Kharazishvili (1956), Gennady Kharazishvili (1968), Robinson Kharazishvili (1971), Tariel Djerano (1971) and Pridon Djeranov (1975) are residents of the village of Chvinisi, Kareli District of Georgia. According to testimonies, the persons attempted an illegal border-crossing to the territory of South Ossetia with their destination in the village of Balta, Znauri district, where they reportedly were invited for a job. It is found out that this information was false", reads the Press-Service Report.
Within the framework of Geneva agreements on prevention and response to incidents, participants of the IRPM working groups visited the place where 16 Georgian citizens were detained 25 October by Russian border-guards in Leningor district of South Ossetia. As reported by Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev, representatives of the South Ossetia’s General Prosecurotr’s Office, Border-guard Department of the RSO KGB and RF FSB, as well as representatives of the Georgian side and the EUMM participated in this fact-finding trip.
On 28 October, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Murat Djioev received the Head of the ICRC Office in Tskhinval, Mr. P.Reichel, and Head of Health Department V.Krebs, reports MFA Press-Service.
On 25 October at 12 a.m., the RF FSB Border Guards detained 16 Georgian citizens who had illegally crossed the state border of South Ossetia and were engaged in unauthorized wood-cutting, reported the Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev. According to him, the trespassers were arrested in the village of Salbieri, Leningor district.
The relatives of the Ossetians abducted by power structures 13 October 2008 addressed the CoE Human Rigths Commissioner Tomas Hammerberg through the Office of the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement. As reported by the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev, the letter reads: “Dear Mr. Hammerberg,
We, undersigned, the mothers and close relatives of the South Ossretian citizens, abducted on 13 October (ABDUCTED, not missing, as the Georgian side reports) by the Georgian power structures:
1. Alan Yurievich Khachirov, 1992, resident of Tskhinval,
2. Alan Davidovich Khugaev, 1989, resident of Tskhinval,
3. Soltan Rostikoevich Pliev, 1983, resident of Tskhinvali
By conducting illegal and inhuman policy against South Ossetian, Georgian authorities brought the situation to an open aggression against our Republic, and as a result o f this, hundreds of South Ossetians were detained in Georgia, and our sons are among those. Despite the numerous addresses to Georgian authorities, they rejected the fact of detention.
Today, 19 October, a meeting of the representatives of South Ossetian and Georgian sides took place in Ergneti (Georgia). The meeting focused on the missing South Ossetians and Georgians. As reported by Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement MerB Chigoev, the meeting was not supplementary (not initially planned) and was convened upon the proposal of the Geneva discussions Co-chairman, the OSCE CiO Special Representative Charalampos Christopoulos. According to Chigoev, the meeting's main focus was the fate of the missing South Ossetians and Georgians and the follow-up on the persons trialed by South Ossetian and Georgian courts.
The Chairman of the South Ossetian Government Vadim Brovtsev met with representatives of public organizations. Representatives of “Russian Union of Afghan Veterans” and Trade Union Council participated in the meeting. Representatives of the South Ossetian Regional Organization “Union of Afghan Veterans” discussed with Vadim Brovtsev the possible variants for cooperation. Prime Minister promised the Afghan Veteran Organizations to help in getting more social benefits.
