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The legacy of the displaced in the South Caucasus: from yesterday till today

The South Caucasus is no stranger to the plight of displaced persons. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, refugees and internally displaced persons have numbered in the hundreds of thousands due to conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Recent geopolitical shifts, such as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s 24-hour military offensive, have reignited concerns about this unresolved issue and the ongoing challenges faced by displaced persons in the region.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 was heralded by many western politicians, academics and others as a largely peaceful event. For many Central Asians and South Caucasians, however, it was far from tranquil. Tajikistan experienced a devastating civil war (1992-97). Georgia fought two wars with Russia over the regions of Abkhazia (1992-93) and South Ossetia (1991-92), while Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh (1992-94). Both Georgia and Azerbaijan were left with large internally displaced person (IDP) populations, the vast majority of whom are still displaced today.

April 11, 2024 - Jennifer S. Wistrand - Hot TopicsIssue 3 2024Magazine

Illustration by Andrzej Zaręba

IDPs in Georgia and Azerbaijan

The present-day displaced people in the South Caucasus are largely, though not exclusively, a consequence of conflicts over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia and the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. In brief, the conflict over the region of Abkhazia began in the final years of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet period, Abkhazia was one of the 20 regions that was designated an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). In theory, this designation accorded the region some degree of independence. In practice, the Abkhazia ASSR was still subject to Tbilisi’s and ultimately Moscow’s will. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Abkhazia wanted to maintain its special status, while Georgia wanted the region to be fully incorporated into the newly independent Georgian state. There was a strong nationalist movement in Georgia in the early years of the post-independence period and granting special statuses for parts of Georgia was in opposition to that movement. Between 1992 and 1993, Abkhazia and Georgia fought a war. The Abkhaz received significant support from the Russians and ultimately defeated the Georgians. Today, Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent state, while Georgia and the vast majority of the UN’s member states consider Abkhazia to be a part of Georgia.

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