In reality, they were more independent prior to Moscow “helping them out.” These days, Moscow has a noose around their necks that is getting progressively tighter. The citizens of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia are becoming increasingly fed up with Russia's ever-growing involvement in the affairs of their country, with hatred mounting toward their leaders for bowing to Moscow's every whim. Last week, opposition parties in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia led street protests demanding the resignation of their leaders. There was also a small protest in Russia when around 150 South Ossetians marched in front of the Duma. However, even if they were able to change their current leaderships, there is very little they are able to do about Moscow's interference. With only one other country -- Nicaragua -- recognizing their independence and no others likely to do so in the near future, both statelets are entirely dependent on Moscow. And to that end, there can be no doubt that Russia will increasingly encroach on every aspect of life, taking what it likes when it likes -- grabbing all the best assets and ensuring that both leaderships remain tightly under the Kremlin's thumb. There is, quite frankly, no alternative.For Abkhazians it must be a particularly bitter pill to swallow, given the potential of this region. Abkhazia is geographically well placed and has a beautiful coastline, breathtaking scenery and a warm climate, which would make it a great tourist destination. It also has extremely fertile soils that are perfect for many types of agriculture. In days gone by, Abkhazia was a favorite holiday destination for Moscow's high-flyers -- Stalin had his holiday home there. Abkhazia's position on the Black Sea would also give it an independent trade route. But probably they will never have this chance to develop any of these options because the Russians are reaping Abkhazia's fruits for themselves. Among many projects Russia has planned is a new initiative that will bring a team of some 100,000 workers to collect materials to be used in the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics that are due to be held in Sochi, which is only a stone's throw away. Russia is also gobbling up national assets very quickly. A meeting last week between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, resulted in the purchase of the airport terminal at Sukhumi, along with control of the railway network. It seems that there is also a deal under way that would allow Russian citizens to purchase property and land in Abkhazia -- something the opposition is also strongly opposed to, not least because it could price the Abkhazians out of the housing market.
In addition to this, Moscow has already installed a large military contingent in Abkhazia including thousands of troops. It has leased a military base for 49 years and is also planning a naval base for Black Sea fleet warships in Ochamchira, an Abkhazian port about 32 kilometers up the coast from Georgian-controlled territory. Although this would be a small installation in comparison to Russia's base at Sevastopol on Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, it would still strengthen Russia's hand in the Black Sea. They also recently signed an agreement with the Abkhazian government giving them responsibility for controlling the border between Abkhazia and Georgia proper.
The main opposition figure in Abkhazia is Beslan Butba, a well-known businessman who also runs the local Abaza television channel. He has sworn to bring down the current leadership, but this will not be an easy task and the Abkhazian authorities have already put a ban on his TV channel, claiming it has a political agenda. And even if he does succeed, he will still have to deal with the Russians. After all, what alternative is there? Unless, of course, he would decide to totally rethink the “independence” issue.
