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Georgia, Russia take conflict to UN forum

Gori explosions shake fragile truce

AFP, Geneva/ Goh
Georgia and Russia yesterday took their conflict over South Ossetia to a UN forum on disarmament, accusing each other of flouting international law and humanitarian regulations.
Georgia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Giorgi Gorgiladze told the Conference on Disarmament meeting in Geneva that Russia was hampering aid operations in the conflict region.
Meanwhile, Russia's representative Valery Loschinin described Georgian military action in South Ossetia as "clearly ethnic cleansing" that violated international law.
"Such criminal action fell under
the definition of genocide and there was considerable evidence of violations of the standards of international humanitarian law by the Georgian side," said Loschinin.
Russia would provide documents backing its assertion of "criminal activity," he added.
Georgia's Gorgiladze in turn accused Russian troops of causing "mass destructions and severe damage" in the flashpoint city of Gori, flouting a ceasefire agreement
He also said Russian troops used certain weapons "indiscriminately" against Georgian civilians and infrastructure.
"The deployment of such weapons against peaceful population
and civilian objects vividly reveals the inhuman brutality of Russian troops acting on the territory of Georgia, "he said.
Humanitarian organisations have been barred from entering Russian controlled zones, he said.
"We would like to underline, that the representatives of... international and humanitarian organisations have not been granted an access in the territories controlled by the Russian armed forces, which further intensifies doubts as to real aims followed by Russians in Georgia," he said.
Meanwhile, explosions rocked the strategic Georgian town of Gori on Wednesday, posing a fresh
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threat to the fragile truce between Moscow and Tbilisi as they traded accusations of ceasefire violations.
A week after the conflict erupted, Russia stepped up diplomatic warnings to the West in response to a strong message of support for Georgia from the United States, which sent humanitarian aid and despatched Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Tbilisi.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed that Moscow would act as a guarantor for the breakaway Georgian regions at the centre of the hostilities -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- whatever they decide about their future status.
"The position of Russia is unchanging," Medvedev was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
Explosions were heard and smoke was seen around Gori where Russian and Georgian forces are concentrated. Moments earlier, a Russian soldier had demanded journalists leave and fired shots in the air.
Under a French-brokered ceasefire agreed on Tuesday, Russian and Georgian forces were to return to positions they had before Georgia launched its offensive against South Ossetia last Thursday night.
A Georgian interior ministry spokesman, Shota Utiashvili, told AFP that Russian troops were "destroying" Gori and demolishing installations in the port city of Poti.
One of the ceasefire clauses did allow Russian forces to "implement additional security measures" pending agreement on an international peace mechanism.
An AFP reporter saw Georgian armoured personnel carriers waiting by a roadside outside Gori which is on the main road from South Ossetia to Tbilisi.
A senior Russian military official, General Vyacheslav Borissov, said it would take two days before the entire contingent of Russian troops left the town and Georgian troops took full control.