Osetian War
The 2008 South Ossetia war is a military conflict that started on 8 August 2008 involving Georgia, South Ossetian (and Abkhazian) secessionists and Russia.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia are territories within Georgia that declared independence from Georgia and have been acting in a de facto independent capacity since the early 1990s. Neither state has been diplomatically recognised by any member of the United Nations. The conflict began 8 August 2008 after Georgia claimed South Ossetian separatists had broken a ceasefire by attacking villages. Georgia launched a military offensive to surround and capture the capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali.[25]
Later the same day, Russia responded by moving its troops across the Georgian border, bringing ground forces into South Ossetia and Abkhazia and launching airstrikes on targets elsewhere in the country. The Russian government’s stated justification for entering Georgian territory was to protect its own citizens and to prevent “a genocide by Georgian forces”.[26][22] As Georgia retreated from its offensive in South Ossetia, it claimed it was defending itself from “Russian aggression.”[27] Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili claimed the Russians conducted a “well-planned invasion.”[28] Russia responded to the charge in the United Nations, pointing out Georgia had started the war by conducting a military operation against South Ossetian separatists.[22] Georgia insisted it had earlier been provoked by attacks by South Ossetian militants, which South Ossetia repeatedly denies.[29]
Most international observers have called for a peaceful solution to the conflict.[30] The European Union and the United States expressed a will to send a joint delegation to try to negotiate a cease-fire.[31] Russia ruled out peace talks with Georgia until the latter withdrew from South Ossetia and signed a legally binding pact renouncing the use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia
Por admin el 11 Agosto 2008 – 23:43 pm
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