Abkhazians Go Nuts: Gunshots in Shamgona

On the 12th September, for a period of 15 minutes, gunshots were heard near the village of Shamgona in the Zugdidi District. Shamgona borders with the villages of Sida and Tagilon in the Gali District. They are separated by the river Enguri. Gunshots are no strange thing for the villagers because of the frequent firing from the Abkhazian side. There were occasions when the Abkhazians specifically targeted certain families to shoot at, for example the Gabunias.
 
Now the reason for the shooting in Shamgona was the Georgian population from the lower zone, who dared to take their nut harvest across the Enguri River to Zugdidi.
Witnesses say, having noticed a group of people carrying nuts in sacks and by horse and cart, Abkhazian militiamen fired into the air to scare the people away. The people however did not obey and some of them began running, others dropping their harvest, cultivated through many difficulties.

Nearly ten men escaped and reached the ford of Shamgoni - the so called Nafati Ford. The Abkhazians followed them until the river and carried on shooting in the air. They were threatening them, saying things like - we know who you are and you will be punished when you come back.

The Abkhazians have prohibited the transport of nuts to the Zugdidi region. Moreover the Gali region’s Georgian population was banned from crossing the river by bus too. Thus they remain completely isolated.

On the 12th September, representatives of the Zugdidi sector for the UN Military Observatory Mission and Georgian Peacekeepers arrived at the spot. They met with witnesses to the incident and stated that the case would be discussed at the four-party Georgian-Abkhazian negotiations in Chuburkhinji.

As for the Russian ‘Blue Helmets’, they calmly witnessed the incident from their armored transport and after everything had finished, they saw the Abkhazians back to a peaceful location.

Nato Berulava