UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended on Monday to extend the mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) for six months.

 

In his report on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, unveiled on Monday, Ban noted that despite relative calm in recent months, the deadly clash that occurred on September 20 is "the most serious incident involving the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in many years."

 

The UN chief referred to a skirmish that occurred near the border of Georgia and its breakaway republic of Abkhazia and left two men dead and two injured.

 

Ban noted that the incident took place outside the area of responsibility of the UN observer mission and the Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force.

 

He recommended that areas between the zone of conflict and the Kodori Valley be put under international monitoring, with the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery radar.

 

Noting that UNOMIG's presence continues to contribute to security in the conflict zone, he recommended that its mandate be extended for six months.

 

UNOMIG was established in August 1993 to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement between the government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities in Georgia. UNOMIG's mandate was expanded following the signing by the parties of the 1994 Agreement on a Cease-fire and Separation of Forces.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2007)