Abkhazia’s President Bzhania Resigns After Mass Anti-Moscow Protests

The president of the self-declared republic of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania, resigned following widespread protests against an investment deal, which offered attractive incentives to Russian enterprises. Opponents claim the deal would increase Moscow’s influence in the region.

Demonstrators stormed and occupied key government buildings in the Abkhazian capital of Sokhumi on Friday. At least 14 people were injured in clashes with police and five opposition figures were arrested. Bridges leading to Sukhumi were blocked by protestors.

The protests oppose new measures that would allow Russians to buy Black Sea coastal property, which most countries still regard as part of Georgia, and which they feared would inflate property prices and increase Moscow’s influence in the region. The deal was due to be debated in parliament on Friday.

The demonstrators demanded the removal of Bzhania, who said he was prepared to resign if the protesters abandon their occupation of the buildings. The opposition refused to do so until he stepped down.

According to the Russian state news outlet Sputnik, following the announcement of his resignation and that of the Abkhazian prime minister Alexander Ankvab, the opposition had agreed to leave the occupied buildings. The current vice president Badra Gunba, who has agreed to stand as interim president, is quoted as saying that the agreement was reached after more than nine hours of negotiations, which included agreement to withdraw the bill that would legalize Russian investment and land ownership.

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Bzhania’s resignation still has to be approved by Abkhazia’s parliament, and he has indicated that he will stand for re-election.

Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993. Georgians, who made up a plurality in the region at the time, were ethnically cleansed. The Moscow-backed region declared its independence in 1999. Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory in a short war with Russia in 2008, which resulted in more ethnic cleansing of Georgians. Moscow recognized Abkhazia as it as an independent state, thereafter.

Many Abkhazians are increasingly concerned that the region of about 245,000 people has become little more than a client state of Moscow.