Prime Minister of Abkhazia supports ICRC in searching persons missing since Georgian-Abkhazian war

Prime Minister of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba and George Drndorski, representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and deputy coordinator of programmes for Eastern Europe, discussed at their meeting on May 3 the opportunity to continue the programme of the ICRC Mission in Abkhazia on searching those who disappeared in the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhazian war and identification of its casualties.

As reported by Ruben Migranyan, press secretary of Abkhazian government, Sergey Shamba approved the programme and promised to support the ICRC Mission in its endeavours.

In his turn, Mr Drndorski noted that the Red Cross is interested in better coordination of the judicial-medical activities.

In this context it was decided, as reported by the "News-Georgia", that in the future the ICRC will cooperate directly with the Republic's Department for Emergencies within the programme on searching the missing people.

Let us note here that according to the State Commission on Missing Persons its registry has over 200 persons who disappeared in the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhazian war. They became heroes of the book of memory published with assistance of the ICRC Mission in Abkhazia and the Movement "Mother for Peace and Social Justice".

The "Yuga.Ru" adds that the ICRC is also implementing in Abkhazia its programme of psychosocial support of the families of those who disappeared in warfare.

As reported earlier, Abkhazia holds no talks with Georgia on re-burying and searching the missing persons, since the Georgian party failed with its obligation to present maps of burial places of the Abkhazian fighters who perished during the war. The above State Commission notes that Abkhazia in due time had helped in re-burying remains of Georgian soldiers; however, no Georgia's steps in response followed.