11 February 2008, 14:24
Traffic on "Transcam" restored but transportation to South Ossetia hampered
The traffic flow along the Transcaucasian Highway ("Transcam") connecting South Ossetia with the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A) has been completely restored.
However, one of women-residents of the Leninogorsk District, where one can get only by crossing the villages of South Ossetia inhabited by Georgians, controlled by Tbilisi, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that intolerable conditions have been set up at the Ergneti checkpoint for citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia (RSO). Georgian policemen forbid transporting any foodstuffs to the RSO territory:
"I saw with my own eyes that people were deprived of foodstuffs and other things. They let through absolutely nothing. One can only cross the Georgian-Ossetian border on foot. They even beat people. I saw them drag out an Azeri woman out of a car and beat her. Everybody was scared to interfere."
According to the correspondent, from the start of 2008 the Georgian party has practically completely blocked the Georgian-Ossetian border at the Ergneti checkpoint.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was also informed at the press service of the administration of the Leninogorsk District that Georgian policemen stop all Ossetian cars, subject their passengers to thorough search and register and copy all the documents they have.
Let us note here that the blocking by the Georgian party of the areas of South Ossetia has coincided in time with the stop of the "Transcam" because of plentiful snowfalls and subsequent snow avalanches. The capital of South Ossetia was practically blocked.
Author: Zalina Siukaeva, CK correspondent
