SUKHUMI. Oct 11 (Interfax-AVN) - In the event Russian peacekeepers are withdrawn from the area of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict "a large-scale war will begin in the region," a high-ranking representative of the command of the Russian peacekeeping force in Abkhazia told Interfax.
"The peacekeeping force is separating the conflicting parties in the Gali and Zugdidi districts and are not allowing Abkhazian and Georgian groups to meet. If the peacekeepers leave, a collision will be practically unavoidable, considering the difficult situation in the Kodori Gorge," Interfax was told.
There are now some 1,600 Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict area. The peacekeeping forces were brought to the region in 1994. Eighty-five Russian servicemen have been killed since the beginning of the operation.