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)
