Georgia Urges Moscow Not to 'sow Discord'

Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian president, today held out an olive branch to Russia, calling for talks with Moscow after it said it would withdraw troops from Georgia.

Saakashvili had previously denounced Russians as "21st century barbarians", after they routed Georgian forces, who had tried to re-annex Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia. But today the Georgian president switched to a more conciliatory tone.

"I appeal to you that after your armed forces leave Georgian territory, to start serious thinking and discussions about further negotiations, a further search for ways [to conduct] relations in order not to sow discord between our countries for good," Saakashvili said.

Russian forces are due to pull out of Georgian territory today under a French-brokered truce to end the fighting amid western warnings that Moscow faced unspecified consequences unless it fulfilled its pledges for a rapid withdrawal.

Kakha Lomaia, the secretary of Georgia's national security council, said he saw no sign of a Russian pullout.

"The Russian general (Vyacheslav Borisov) promised last night to start the pullout at 10am, but so far there is no sign," he said on the main highway to Gori.

Georgian television showed pictures of Russian forces moving out of the western Georgian town of Senaki, but it was not clear if this was part of the promised larger retreat. An EU six-point peace plan calls for a prompt withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia proper — the areas outside South Ossetia and a second Russian-backed separatist province of Abkhazia — but the west will also be looking for Russian troops to cut back their numbers quickly in South Ossetia itself.

As Georgia waited for Russian troops to leave its territory, the leader of South Ossetia, Georgia's breakaway province, said he wanted Russia to station a military base on its territory and ruled out the return of international observers.

"We will ask the leadership of the Russian Federation for there to be a Russian military base on the territory of South Ossetia because Russian citizens live here," Eduard Kokoity, South Ossetia leader, told Reuters. "We will ask the Russian leadership — it is their decision."

Only Russia recognises South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgian rule in a 1991-92 war. Kokoity's comments underline South Ossetia's determination to move closer to Russia, following Georgia's failed attempt to re-absorb its separatist province, a move that prompted Moscow to retaliate with what the west criticized as "disproportionate force".

Kokoity also fired his government and declared a month-long emergency as he criticised his cabinet for not doing enough to help thousands of people who fled their homes during the conflict between Russia and Georgia.

"I consider the government was not working effectively so I signed the decree [to sack it]," he said. "We have created an emergency commission to liquidate the consequences of the Georgian aggression. This is connected to the fact that several members of the government are incapable of acting in such a serious military situation."

Nearly 100,000 people have been driven from their homes by the conflict, according to the UN refugee agency. The International Committee of the Red Cross has said up to half of South Ossetia's population of 70,000 have fled.

Human Rights Watch called for the urgent deployment of an EU mission of police and security forces to protect civilians.

"This conflict has been a disaster for civilians," said Rachel Denber, Europe and Central Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. "An international security mission should be deployed to help protect civilians and create a safe environment for the displaced to return home. And international organizations should also send fact-finding missions to establish the facts, report on human rights, and urge the authorities to account for any crimes."

The UN said a first aid convoy managed to reach the Georgian town of Gori near the border with South Ossetia yesterday and said that while buildings did not appear to be very damaged, there were "clear signs of massive looting".

Russia says some 1,600 people were killed in the initial Georgian attack on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, a figure which has not been independently confirmed. Georgia accuses Russian and irregular forces of looting and burning Georgian villages around Tskhinvali.