Deeds of peacekeepers

by Alexey Vlasov exclusively for VK

The South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, held a round-table conference called “Blessed peacekeepers, for they will be named the sons of God”, dedicated to the peacekeeping mission in South Ossetia of 1992-2008. The meeting was held to mark the tragic events of August 8, 2008, opening a new page in the history of Russian peacekeepers in the South Caucasus.

The first step towards fulfilling the mission was made 20 years ago, in the summer of 1992, when mixed peacekeeping forces consisting of North Ossetian and Russian battalions entered South Ossetia. A unique operation started, maintaining fragile peace in the region for 16 years, although South Ossetia remained a dangerous zone, where any provocation could ruin the balance. The mixed forces were brought to restore peace and enforce order in the zone of armed conflict, a security corridor, districts and villages that were not part of the conflict, by monitoring fulfillment of the cease-fire regime and using measures, including use of weapons, to combat uncontrolled armed formations of any side in the conflict.

The trilateral format of the peacekeeping mission was a success. Boris Chochiyev, a witness of the process, recalled: “Servicemen from Russia, Ossetia and Georgia were standing together defending peace within the framework of the operation. I remember that the 5th anniversary of independence of South Ossetia in Tskhinvali had representatives of the Georgian peacekeeping command standing together with us. All Ossetia believed that no war would happen again.”

Unfortunately, the hopes were dashed in August 2008, when the Georgian authorities decided to use force and break the fragile peace. The repercussions of this step can still be seen.

It is notable that preparations for the aggression started with an “attack” by Georgian lawmakers on the status of the peacekeepers. The Georgian parliament passed a document on February 15, 2006, accusing Russia of annexing Georgian territories and ordered the government to reconsider the Dagomys Agreement of 1992 to form a mixed monitoring commission for settlement of the South Ossetian conflict and deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone.

As a result, the peacekeepers were the first to be hit by the Georgian military, suffering casualties, but fighting to the end. Meanwhile, on August 7, 2003, a UN session unanimously passed a resolution, stating that attacks on peacekeepers and staff of humanitarian missions is considered a military crime. Sides involved in international conflict must guarantee the security of peacekeepers and send criminals to the International Court of Justice.

Recalling the events that happened 20 years ago, we commemorate those who gave their lives to enforce peace on the great space of what used to be a single country that turned into fragments of what was once a common home.