Protests continue in Abkhazia, a Russian-backed separatist region of Georgia. On Friday, demonstrators stormed government buildings and demanded the resignation of regional leader Aslan Bujani. However, he made it clear he would not resign and insisted he was in talks with the opposition. Russia has called on its citizens to leave Abkhazia.
Aslan Buzhaniya told his opponents that he will not abandon his role and will not flee from Abkhazia. This resolute attitude of him and other representatives of the self-styled republican authorities led to further riots and discontent, with protesters voicing their dissatisfaction en masse in front of the parliament in Sukhumi.
Abkhazia. Demonstrators storm parliament, demanding Aslan Boujani's resignation
The Eko Kaukaza website reported that the crowd gave Boujaniya one hour to announce his resignation or threatened to break into the Interior Ministry building where he was supposed to be staying. But then unofficial speculation began that Mr. Buzhaniya was at a Russian military base, and his office reported that he was at his home in Tamisi.
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Opposition leaders told Reuters their initial demand was only to reject the bill, which was due to be voted on Friday, but parliament has been suspended for now. The regulation aims to legalize Russian “investments” and ownership of land and real estate in the region. Residents of Abkhazia fear, among other things: This will lead to a significant increase in housing prices in the Black Sea region.
But now there are also firm demands, backed by Moscow, for the leader to resign. To this end, the metal gates surrounding the Capitol were first pried open using speeding trucks, and then demonstrators entered the building through windows. At least 13 people were injured.
Riots in Abkhazia. Moscow calls on Russians to leave the region
A former adviser to Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs, citing Abkhazian sources, reported that some law enforcement officials supported the protesters, whose number could be as high as 2.5 million.
On Friday afternoon, the so-called President of Abkhazia announced that he was drafting a document to withdraw the draft agreement with Russia from parliament.
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At the time, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili directly stated that Russia wanted to annex Abkhazia, which had been strongly criticized, and expressed solidarity with the region's residents.
In response to these events, the Russian Foreign Ministry instructed its citizens to withdraw from the separatist republic. In 2008, Moscow recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. This was after a five-day war with Georgia. In both regions, the Kremlin maintains military bases and supports the economy.
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