Located along the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, Abkhazia is known for its natural beauty and coastline. Local residents feared that the influx of Russian investment could spoil the landscape with residential complexes and drive local residents out of the real estate market.
Abkhazia was historically known as a vacation spot for the Soviet elite, and has maintained a Russian presence since being recognized by Moscow and its allies.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned its citizens not to travel to Abkhazia, and if they are already there, to “exercise increased caution, do not approach the places of mass riots and, if possible, leave” the area.
The spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said that Russia will not interfere and “hopes” that the situation will be “resolved exclusively by peaceful political means”, adding that it is a pity that the opposition did not settle the differences through “civilized, mutually respectful dialogue”.
Video footage showed hundreds of protesters storming the parliament, tearing down window bars and climbing through broken windows.
As the Russian state news agency RIA “Novosti” reports, the protesters are demanding the resignation of President Aslan Bzhaniya, and the opposition is currently discussing his replacement.
This is not the first time that the leader has been called to resign.
In 2014, protesters stormed the presidential headquarters, forcing then-leader Alexander Ankwab to flee. He later resigned amid allegations of corruption and abuse.
In 2020, opposition leader Raul Khajimba, who was elected after riots in 2014, was also forced to resign after street protests.
