Georgia is marking 33 years since the fall of Sokhumi, with flags lowered to half-mast at government buildings and officials, opposition representatives and diplomats paying tribute at Tbilisi's Heroes Memorial.
The fall of Sokhumi on September 27, 1993, marked the end of the 1992-93 war in Abkhazia. An estimated 12,000 people were killed during the conflict, while more than 200,000 ethnic Georgians were displaced from the region.
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the anniversary a "tragic day" and honored those who died in the war.
"It is our duty to do our utmost to restore territorial integrity by peaceful means," Kobakhidze said.
U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Courtney Austrian also paid tribute at the memorial. The U.S. Embassy said it was joining Georgia in remembering those who died defending the country and those displaced by the war.
A march organized by the Abkhaz Council movement and joined by opposition parties and protest groups was scheduled later in the day, running from Tbilisi State University to the Heroes Memorial.
The conflict emerged in 1992 amid escalating tensions over Abkhazia's status and attempts by local authorities to separate the region from Georgia. Georgian forces entered Abkhazia in August 1992, with Tbilisi saying the deployment was intended to protect the Russian-Georgian railway and other infrastructure. Fighting subsequently escalated, with Abkhaz forces receiving support from fighters from the North Caucasus.
A ceasefire agreement was reached in September 1992, but fighting resumed the following month. In July 1993, the Georgian government and Abkhaz authorities reached a new ceasefire agreement, which was monitored by United Nations observers.
The ceasefire broke down on September 16, 1993, when Abkhaz forces, with armed support from outside Abkhazia, launched attacks on Sukhumi and Ochamchira. The UN Security Council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and condemned the violation of the ceasefire by the Abkhaz side. Abkhaz forces occupied Sukhumi on September 27, forcing Georgian forces to withdraw. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, mostly Georgians, were subsequently displaced.
Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent state following the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. Georgia and most of the international community continue to recognize the region as part of Georgia.
