Georgia: Behind the Poti Lines

RFE/RL’s Behind the Poti Lines reports on the recent visit by the Georgian president to the Russian-occupied port. As usual, the picture is one of a military under-equipped and hungry. There are more reports of looting meat factories, for example, but while Saakashvili promises future development of the town, the blog says it looks like the Russians will be there for some time to come — regardless of what the six-point ceasefire plan states.

For the first time in weeks, there are people on the streets, and some of them even look happy. It’s all because President Mikheil Saakashvili has paid a visit to Poti, and the town suddenly feels it hasn’t been forgotten.

The announcement of the president’s visit came on short notice and created a buzz among journalists and the local administration. His first destination was the seventh pier of the Poti port — the first spot that was hit by Russian bombs when the conflict began three weeks ago. Saakashvili’s comments there were brief, but very direct in condemning Russian aggression.

At City Hall, Saakashvili was greeted by a crowd waving flags and chanting “Misha!” Speaking to leaders from Poti and elsewhere in the region, he expressed his gratitude to security officials who have tried to keep the peace, and to local people for keeping calm and not escalating the conflict. The president tried to assuage residents’ fears that the Russians will remain in the town, despite their purported plans to leave as early as this evening. Saakashvili even offered a vision of Poti’s bright economic future: Where there are now Russian troops, he said, there will one day be skyscrapers built with foreign investment.

For now, though, the Russians troops are entrenched, and apparently getting hungry. In the second such incident, troops entered a meat processing plant and helped themselves to supplies. One can’t help but wonder if they’re stocking up for an extended stay.

The blog also notes that Russian soldiers are keeping interaction with residents to a minumum and no longer buying bread and vodka from local shops in the town. Poti is operating at 35 percent of its capacity because of the Russian bombing and occupation. Increasingly resembling a ghost town, local residents meet at people’s homes rather than on the streets.

Photo: Russian Soldier, Igoeti, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008