Amid efforts to prevent COVID-19 spread in region, newly elected de facto leadership of breakaway Abkhazia took steps to resume initiatives for regular contacts with Georgian govt. During online conference with co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions (GID), Abkhaz de facto govt 13 May voiced readiness to resume work of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, forum for Georgian, Russian and de facto local security officials to discuss situation on line of separation; forum halted in 2018 due to disagreements over issues including refusal of Abkhaz de facto govt to punish border guard responsible for death of ethnic Georgian in May 2016. At same meeting, representatives of de facto South Ossetian leadership reasserted their refusal to accept international support to prevent COVID-19 spread unless it enters from Russian border. Georgian Security Service 16 May reported new signs of borderisation at village of Saberio near Abkhaz administrative boundary line; EU Monitoring Mission neither confirmed nor denied reports. In domestic politics, President Zourabichvili 16 May pardoned two prominent opposition politicians as step in implementation of 8 March agreement between opposition and ruling party that lays out agreed electoral reforms.

Concerns continued over vulnerability of breakaway regions in face of COVID-19 outbreak. South Ossetia continued to refuse offers of support from international organisations, including World Health Organization (WHO); since mid-March de facto leadership maintained long-standing requirement that WHO specialists enter region from Russia, not Georgia, despite Russian and Georgian border restrictions rendering it near impossible. South Ossetia de facto leadership and Russia mid-April resumed borderisation activity along line of separation with territory controlled by Tbilisi, drawing condemnation from Tbilisi, Co-Chairs of Geneva International Discussions and Georgia’s foreign partners. In breakaway region Abkhazia, local leadership stepped up international engagement, receiving support from Russia and international organisations including UN Development Programme and WHO.

Responding to COVID-19 outbreak, govt 18 March closed borders, prohibiting foreign citizens from entering country. Authorities 23 March declared lockdown in two regions in south west bordering Azerbaijan and Armenia, Marneuli and Bolnisi, after Marneuli official diagnosed with COVID-19. Breakaway region Abkhazia 5 March closed crossings with Georgia, joining other secessionist territory South Ossetia which closed crossings late Feb. Both regions declared emergency situation 27 March. Next day Russia closed its borders with both regions. Abkhazia 22 March held de facto presidential election despite early March hospitalisation of leading candidate and opposition leader Aslan Bzhania after brief visit to Moscow, and fears surrounding COVID-19 outbreak; Georgian govt same day criticised elections, saying they “fully contradict the fundamental norms and principles of international law” and violate Georgia’s sovereignty. Abkhaz election commission 23 March declared Bzhania winner with 56.5% of vote (voter turnout reported as 71.6%).

After Raul Khajimba resigned from his position as leader of Abkhazia in Jan, three candidates registered for snap presidential elections scheduled for 22 March, including front runner opposition leader Aslan Bzhania. Food shortages worsened in South Ossetia, caused by Russia’s hike in customs to align them with those of Eurasian Economic Union which considers South Ossetia a “foreign state”. Georgia 20 Feb accused Main Directorate of General Staff of Russia’s armed forces of major cyber-attack 28 Oct that targeted hundreds of govt, NGO, company and individual websites; Russia denied involvement.

In major political development, anti-govt protests in breakaway territory of Abkhazia forced the resignation of Abkhaz leader Raul Khajimba, snap presidential elections in Abkhazia are now scheduled for 22 Mar. In Abkhaz capital Sukhumi, dozens of activists 9 Jan took over main building of govt headquarters armed with wooden sticks and boards, sequestering Khajimba, security forces showed little resistance; local opposition leaders joined protesters demanding Khajimba’s resignation with support of local elite; 12 Jan Khajimba resigned. In attempt to ensure Khajimba’s peaceful resignation, Russia 10 Jan dispatched deputy head of Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev, one of its curators for Abkhazia, without success; Russia 12 Jan then sent Vladislav Surkov, aide to President Putin, but Khajimba had already resigned by the time Surkhov arrived. Abkhaz presidential candidate Aslan Bzhania, former head of local security service, 16 Jan said to Georgian media his readiness to initiate direct contact with Tbilisi, in apparent effort to get support for launch of future economy-related programs in breakaway territory.

Latest round of Geneva International Discussions (GID) talks 10-11 Dec, main forum to resolve conflict over Georgia’s breakaway republics, went badly amid continuing crisis around contested Georgian police outpost near South Ossetian separation line, which led to closure in Sept of main crossing point with Georgia-controlled territory. GID co-chairs reported “deteriorating situation on the ground” and participants’ “diverging positions on key issues of the agenda have become further entrenched”, with rising tensions leading to increase in incidents including detentions. Several prominent figures appealed to Moscow to support release of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, held in South Ossetian prison since 9 Nov; de facto South Ossetian court 20 Dec sentenced him to 1 year and 9 months’ imprisonment; de facto leadership 28 Dec granted him pardon, paving way for his immediate release. In positive development, following diplomatic efforts of GID, de facto South Ossetian leadership 2 Dec relieved restrictions on leaving territory for retired people and those with serious health conditions, although entrance to region still restricted; leadership also released local residents detained for accidental or first-time crossing into breakaway region. In Abkhazia, following fatal Nov shooting in central Sukhumi café, de facto govt 2 Dec dismissed interior minister and prosecutor general, same day as mass street protests by local opposition and activists. Elsewhere, united opposition parties and activists 6 Dec held anti-govt protest in western city Kutaisi calling for fully proportional parliamentary elections in 2020; ruling Georgia Dream party organised pro-govt rally in Tbilisi 14 Dec attended by tens of thousands, mainly employees of state-run organisations.

Govt facing political crisis as thousands of people joined protests in Tbilisi and other cities starting 14 Nov, clashing with police and govt supporters. Protests began after parliament failed to adopt legislation for new electoral system that would allow opposition to gain more parliamentary seats in election scheduled for late 2020, breaking promise by PM Ivanishvili following protests in June; some leading ruling party figures resigned in protest, many accusing Ivanishvili of preventing adoption of promised amendments. Some 20,000 protested in Tbilisi 17 Nov, biggest protest since ruling Georgian Dream party came to power, joined by all opposition parties. Govt 18 Nov began forceful dispersal of protesters blocking govt buildings; three people injured, including one policeman; police arrested 37 people, some of whom were handed down short prison sentences. Embassies of EU member states and U.S. released statement 17 Nov calling for calm and return to discussion of electoral code. Georgian Dream and opposition met 30 Nov to discuss amendments to electoral system but unable to reach agreement. In breakaway republic South Ossetia, humanitarian impact of ongoing closure of roads connecting it to Georgia-controlled territory worsened with onset of winter, with thousands of ethnic Georgians in area experiencing food shortages and lack of access to emergency health services. South Ossetia de facto authorities 9 Nov arrested well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and jailed him for two months for “illegal border crossing” after he entered breakaway region to visit patient, prompting outrage in Tbilisi, where hundreds of doctors organised strike 18 Nov; de facto authorities launched investigation into Gaprindashvili’s role in 2008 war, claiming he supported Georgian army. Co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions 11 Nov called for continued dialogue on contentious Georgian police outpost and demanded opening of crossings “without delay”.

Tensions continue around separation line of breakaway republic South Ossetia following Aug crisis, with both sides reporting new problems mid-Oct. Geneva International Discussions (GID) participants meeting 8-9 Oct failed to reach agreement over contested Georgian police outpost in Tsnelisi village; armed South Ossetian security actors briefly held EU Monitoring Mission patrol in area of tensions 25 Oct. GID co-chairs also reiterated calls to reopen crossings, closure of which has led to reported food shortages and health problems for local ethnic Georgian population; one woman reportedly died 28 Oct due to lack of timely emergency support. Govt 15 Oct reported new attempts at borderisation along separation line; de facto South Ossetian authorities 16 Oct reported increased presence of armed police officers near Tsnelisi police outpost.

Russian and Georgian FMs held first talks since 2008 war, while tensions between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia continued, and breakaway region Abkhazia saw political dispute over close-run second round of de facto presidential elections. Russian and Georgian FM spoke on sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York 26 Sept, with Swiss mediation; Georgian side reported they discussed problems for people living along separation lines with country’s breakaway regions. Hours earlier, Russian newspaper published interview with FM Lavrov, who said Russia had no intention to start war with Georgia, and favoured possible resumption of direct flights and cancelling visa requirements for Georgian citizens. Talks between Georgian and de facto South Ossetian officials failed to ease tensions over Tbilisi’s erection of police station near separation line, which it said was response to Russian and de facto South Ossetian construction of border fence. Georgia refused to dismantle police station, while de facto South Ossetian officials early Sept installed several observation points nearby, prompting fears over possible fortification of area. Local de facto leadership 9 Sept closed all crossings into Georgia after calls from local opposition to deploy special troops. Co-Chairs of Geneva International Discussions, main forum to resolve conflict over breakaway republics, 15 Sept called for immediate end to closure of border crossings, which they said creates “additional hardship” for locals and risked escalating tensions; Moscow called on both sides to continue talks. In Abkhazia, 8 Sept run-off presidential elections resulted in incumbent Raul Khajimba winning narrow victory (by some 2,000 votes) over Alkhaz Kvitsiniya of opposition Amtsakhara party. De facto supreme court 20 Sept dismissed Amtsakhara’s appeal that local election commission did not follow legal rules for counting votes. Amid small-scale opposition street protests against result, former Abkhaz leader Aleksandr Ankvan 18 Sept proposed Khajimba and Kvitsiniya form coalition govt, however reported conversation between them failed to resolve dispute.

Tensions rose between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia as Georgia responded to Russia and de facto South Ossetia’s construction of border fence by building two police stations near Georgian villages close to separation line. Govt 14 Aug said Russian and de facto South Ossetian border guards were again building fence on line between South Ossetia and Georgia-controlled territory, this time in Gugutiantkari village; Russian and de facto border guards have been trying to erect barriers along separation line since 2011. UN, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, U.S., EU, Poland, Lithuania and several other govts condemned fence construction. Georgia 24 and 25 Aug started erecting two police stations near other villages close to separation line. De facto South Ossetia claimed one near village of Chorchana was in territory it controlled, and 28 Aug deployed armoured vehicles to patrol area; Georgia denied building was in South Ossetia. Officials from Georgia, Russia and de facto South Ossetia govt 29 Aug in Ergneti failed to discuss issue at meeting of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), structure aimed at defusing tensions in conflict zone. De facto South Ossetia official 29 Aug demanded Georgia dismantle police building near Chorchana, and said that, if it did not, local authorities would “take all … legal measures to ensure the security” of territory they control. Officials from Georgian interior and foreign ministries and EU Monitoring Mission observers 30 Aug were present in area. De facto officials 30 Aug erected flags on hills near police station and agreed to renew discussions in IPRM format. In Abkhazia’s 25 Aug presidential elections, no candidate won over 50% of votes, threshold required to avoid run-off; two candidates with most votes, incumbent Raul Khajimba, who won 24.83%, and Alkhaz Kvitsiniya, head of Amtsakhara opposition party, who won 22.91%, to compete in second round scheduled for 8 Sept. In lead-up to polls, Khajimba met Russian President Putin 6 Aug.