Since December 10, Abkhazia has redeployed to the district additional forces, in particular artillery and tank detachments.
Anwar Hussain, the chief of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), met on Friday with Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba, who told the UN official that the moves were made in order to enhance the protection of the republic's border.
Shamba also said that the UN mission should carry out observer activities on the territory of Abkhazia, while the European Union should have its observer mission in undisputed parts of Georgia.
Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war over the breakaway Georgian republic of South Ossetia in August after Georgian forces launched an attack on the rebel region. Russia's subsequent military operation to "force Georgia to peace" ended with Russian troops deep in Georgian territory.
In accordance with a French-brokered peace deal, Russia withdrew its forces from buffer zones around Abkhazia and South Ossetia ahead of an October 10 deadline. The peacekeepers were replaced by a 200-strong EU monitoring mission in Georgia. Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia have refused to allow EU observers on their territory.
Russia recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states on August 26. So far, only Nicaragua has followed suit.
