South Ossetian President Anatoly Bibilov called on all warring parties in Abkhazia to sit down at the negotiating table and prevent bloodshed.
"The conflict, which I’m sure can be resolved, will be resolved, most importantly so that blood does not spill in the heat of the confrontation, because nothing can be more important than human life," the head of state said in a state media statement on Friday.
Bibilov called the alarming reports from Sukhum about the actions of opposition supporters calling for the resignation of President of Abkhazia Raul Khadzhimba and the storming of the building of the presidential administration.
"For us, for the people of South Ossetia, what is happening in the fraternal Republic has always been important. We always rejoice together in common victories and grieve together in the difficult days of losses and tragedies. Both people of South Ossetia and people of Abkhazia have passed the same hard and war-scorched path to independence and freedom. A path that was full of losses and trials. That is why we are saddened by the negative news from Abkhazia, « President of South Ossetia said.
The head of state has noted that people of Abkhazia are in a difficult situation.
"I would like to urge all the Abkhazian brothers to mutual respect and understanding. Only in this way we are able to build strong and prosperous states. Only through creation we can build the future for our younger generations," President of South Ossetia said.
Bibilov called on all the warring parties to sit down at the negotiating table and find "a common language, as our ancestors did," emphasizing that all issues must be resolved in the legal field, without going beyond the law and the constitution.
Supporters of the Abkhaz opposition took to the streets of Sukhum last Thursday demanding the resignation of President of the Republic Raul Khadzhimba and the holding of new elections. Earlier on Friday, Mohammed Kilba, secretary of the Republic’s Security Council, told the media that President of Abkhazia continues to exercise his powers.
According to Secretary of the Security Council, in connection with the unrest, the security agencies have been transferred to an enhanced duty regime, in general, "the situation in the Republic is stable and controlled."
At the same time, Kilba said that the people who had seized the presidential administration building opened the weapons rooms of the state security service and took possession of the weapons. “All cabinets were opened; symbols of state power were stolen. They managed to return several weapons. Negotiations are ongoing on the return of all stolen weapons,” the Security Council Secretary said.
Regarding the publication on Facebook of the posts of Khajimba’s opponents about how the authorities intend to force the president’s administration building to be vacated, Kilba said that "such measures were not planned today." "But such measures are not excluded in the future. It all depends on the development of the situation and the results of negotiations, which may be held in the near future," Kilba said.
"All possible efforts will be made to ensure that those who seized the presidential administration left the building," he added.
On January 9, activists of the Abkhaz opposition tried to storm the presidential administration. The opposition Abkhaz party Aitaira (Renaissance) called on the head of the Republic, Raul Khadjimbu, to resign so as not to aggravate the situation in the country and not jeopardize the safety of its citizens. In the evening, demonstrators blocked the building of the presidential administration of Abkhazia.
Supporters of the opposition claim that Khajimba did not get the majority of votes in the election of the head of the Republic last year, and demand new elections.
Administration of President of Abkhazia called the riots in Sukhum an attempted coup, and Khadjimba urged the citizens not to succumb to provocations, promising to introduce a state of emergency if necessary.
On the evening of January 9, the Parliament of Abkhazia adopted an appeal to Khajimba to voluntarily resign as head of state to stabilize the situation in the country. For his part, the Defense Minister of Abkhazia Mirab Kishmaria called on the authorities and the opposition to compromise.
President of Abkhazia said that he remained at his post despite the demands for resignation.
Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Rashid Nurgaliyev is expected to arrive in the Republic of Abkhazia on Friday, Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia Mohamed Kilba told TASS, without specifying the purpose of the trip.
"By evening, we are waiting for Rashid Nurgaliyev in Sukhum," he said.
