Joint Control Commission for Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Resolution
Encyclopedia
Joint Control Commission for Georgian–Ossetian Conflict Resolution (JCC) is a peacekeeping
tool, operating in South Ossetia
and overseeing the joint peacekeeping forces in the region.
Created in 1992 after the South Ossetian War, the Commission consisted of 4 members with equal representation: Georgia
, North Ossetia, Russia
, and South Ossetia
. Georgia declared wish to withdrew from the JCC in March, 2008, demanding a new 2+2+2 formula, including the EU, the OSCE and the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia
on the place of North Ossetia. The command of the Georgian peacekeepers was transferred from the JCC to the Georgian Defense Ministry.
The Commission was created by Agreement signed by the Head of Parliament of Georgia
, Eduard Shevardnadze
and President of Russia Boris Yeltsin
. Shevardnadze later succeeded Zviad Gamsakhurdia
as the President of Georgia
The Joined peacekeeping force (JPKF) created by the agreement consisted of three members with equal representation: Georgia
n, Russia
n and South Ossetian contingents. By September, 2008, Georgia left the JKPF.
At 11:00 p.m., August 7, the Georgian army began a massive artillery bombardment on the city of Tskhinvali
, starting the Battle of Tskhinvali
, the first major battle of the 2008 South Ossetia war. At 11:45 p.m. OSCE monitors reported that shells were falling on Tskhinvali every 15–20 seconds.
According to Gia Karkarashvili, ex-minister of defense of Georgia, Georgian servicemen of the JPKF were ordered by the Georgian command to leave their posts on August 7, at 3:00 p.m. This was one hour before the Georgian army received an order to move to the borders of South Ossetia. Karkarashvili claimed Georgian JPKF servicemen did not take part in the attack on the city they vowed to protect. However, Sergey Lavrov
, minister of foreign affairs of Russia, later accused Georgian JPKF servicemen of taking part in the Georgian onslaught, and of "firing at their comrades-in-arms [from JPKF]".
Shortly before midnight of August 7, Mamuka Kurashvili
, then a commander of the Georgian JPKF battalion, claimed Georgia started an operation to "reinstate constitutional order", and "cleanse the Georgian territory of criminal elements". Kurashvili took part in the attack on Tskhinvali.
Russian peacekeeping battalion
played a major role in the defense of Tskhinvali during the Georgian onslaught. Ten peacekeepers from the Russian JPKF force were killed during the Georgian attacks on the base of Russian JPKF peacekeepers in Tskhinvali. Though vastly outnumbered, 250 Russian peacekeepers present in the cantonment repelled five Georgian attacks, destroyed six tanks, and four armored vehicles of the Georgian army. The peacekeepers were offering resistance for three days, until, on August 10, with Russian army units coming over from Northern Ossetia, Georgian army had to retreat from Tskhinvali. The Georgian army failed to take the cantonment of the Russian peacekeeping batalion.
Konstantin Timerman, acting commander of the Russian JPKF unit, was awarded the Star of Hero of Russia, the highest award in the Russian military, and several servicemen of the unit were awarded the Order of Courage
and the Cross of St. George
for military heroism.
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
tool, operating in South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
and overseeing the joint peacekeeping forces in the region.
Created in 1992 after the South Ossetian War, the Commission consisted of 4 members with equal representation: Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, North Ossetia, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
. Georgia declared wish to withdrew from the JCC in March, 2008, demanding a new 2+2+2 formula, including the EU, the OSCE and the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia
Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia
The Provisional Administration of South Ossetia is a government in exile that Georgia recognizes as the legal government of South Ossetia, although Georgia doesn't recognizes existence of South Ossetia as administrative entity....
on the place of North Ossetia. The command of the Georgian peacekeepers was transferred from the JCC to the Georgian Defense Ministry.
The Commission was created by Agreement signed by the Head of Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies...
, Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
and President of Russia Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
. Shevardnadze later succeeded Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia was a dissident, scientist and writer, who became the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era...
as the President of Georgia
President of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
The Joined peacekeeping force (JPKF) created by the agreement consisted of three members with equal representation: Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
n, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and South Ossetian contingents. By September, 2008, Georgia left the JKPF.
Joined peacekeeping force (JPKF) in the 2008 South Ossetia war
Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali , is the capital of South Ossetia, a disputed region which has been recognised as an independent Republic by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and is regarded by Georgia and the rest of the world as part of the Shida Kartli region within Georgian sovereign territory.It is located...
, starting the Battle of Tskhinvali
Battle of Tskhinvali
The Battle of Tskhinvali was a fight for the city of Tskhinvali, capital of South Ossetia. It was the only major battle in the 2008 South Ossetia War. Georgian ground troops entered the city on early 8 August 2008, after an extensive artillery barrage. Their advance was stopped by South Ossetian...
, the first major battle of the 2008 South Ossetia war. At 11:45 p.m. OSCE monitors reported that shells were falling on Tskhinvali every 15–20 seconds.
According to Gia Karkarashvili, ex-minister of defense of Georgia, Georgian servicemen of the JPKF were ordered by the Georgian command to leave their posts on August 7, at 3:00 p.m. This was one hour before the Georgian army received an order to move to the borders of South Ossetia. Karkarashvili claimed Georgian JPKF servicemen did not take part in the attack on the city they vowed to protect. However, Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov is the Foreign Minister of Russia. Prior to that, Lavrov was a Soviet diplomat and Russia's ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004. Lavrov speaks Russian, English, French and Sinhala....
, minister of foreign affairs of Russia, later accused Georgian JPKF servicemen of taking part in the Georgian onslaught, and of "firing at their comrades-in-arms [from JPKF]".
Shortly before midnight of August 7, Mamuka Kurashvili
Mamuka Kurashvili
Mamuka Kurashvili is a brigadier general of the Georgian army and Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces since May 7, 2009...
, then a commander of the Georgian JPKF battalion, claimed Georgia started an operation to "reinstate constitutional order", and "cleanse the Georgian territory of criminal elements". Kurashvili took part in the attack on Tskhinvali.
Russian peacekeeping battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
played a major role in the defense of Tskhinvali during the Georgian onslaught. Ten peacekeepers from the Russian JPKF force were killed during the Georgian attacks on the base of Russian JPKF peacekeepers in Tskhinvali. Though vastly outnumbered, 250 Russian peacekeepers present in the cantonment repelled five Georgian attacks, destroyed six tanks, and four armored vehicles of the Georgian army. The peacekeepers were offering resistance for three days, until, on August 10, with Russian army units coming over from Northern Ossetia, Georgian army had to retreat from Tskhinvali. The Georgian army failed to take the cantonment of the Russian peacekeeping batalion.
Konstantin Timerman, acting commander of the Russian JPKF unit, was awarded the Star of Hero of Russia, the highest award in the Russian military, and several servicemen of the unit were awarded the Order of Courage
Order of Courage
The Order of Courage is a decoration presented by the government of the Russian Federation. Established in 1994, the order is presented for "acts of courage or self-sacrifice."- External links :* *...
and the Cross of St. George
Cross of St. George
thumb|Original Cross of St. George.Ist and 2nd class were in gold.The Cross of St. George ', or simply the George's Cross, was, until 1913, officially known as the Sign of Distinction of the Military Order of St. George....
for military heroism.