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decree had profound consequences over the peoples of the North Caucasus and the 
volunteers began to arrive in Abkhazia via mountain paths.
608
 
The local authorities, much as they feared uncontrollable mass movements 
of North Caucasian peoples, could not stop the volunteers.
609
 However, in order to 
show their concern the issue and to control the population, the leaders of Adygea, 
Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and North Osetian Republics, 
Krasnodar and Stavropol Krais and Rostov oblast held an extraordinary meeting in 
Armavir, Krasnodar, on 22 August 1992. At that meeting they blamed Georgia 
with causing the armed clashes and adopted an appeal to the Russian President. To 
submit this report to Moscow a special delegation was also formed.
610
 Moreover it 
was decided to take urgent measures to provide humanitarian aid to the peoples of 
Abkhazia. In order to ensure security and cooperation in the North Caucasus, they 
also decided to form a permanent committee, consisting of the top leaders of the 
executive and legislative bodies of national-state and territorial formations.
611
 
 
Such a turn of events was extremely unwelcome to the Georgian and 
Russian governments. Shevardnadze denied all responsibilities for the military 
                                                 
608
 “Unarmed and armed volunteers going to Abkhazia,” SWB SU/1467, C2/3, 24 August 1992; 
“Mountain Peoples to take Abkhazia by any Methods,” SWB SU/1470, C1/1-2, 27 August 1992. In 
his press Conference in Moskov on 23 March 1993, Taraz Shamba, a leader of the Aydgylara, said, 
“380 people from the North Caucasian republics were fighting on the Abkhazian side. See “Over 
700 Abkhaz had been killed and over 1200 wounded,” SWB SU/1646, B/4, 25 March 1993. At the 
height of the armed struggle the number of the Confederation troops was around 500, but for a 
“war” at that size it was a serious amount of force to change the course of the war. 
609
 “Adygey deputy leader warns that Moscow could alienate North Caucasian people,” SWB 
SU/1469, C3/1-2, 26 August 1992. 
610
 This delegation meets with Russian Vice-President Aleksandr Rutskoy in Moscow on 21 August 
and handed over their appeal to Yeltsin and Khasbulatov. See, “Rutskoy receives delegation from 
North Caucasus republics,” SWB SU/1467, C2/2, 24 August 1992 
611
 “Leaders of north Caucasian republics hold emergency meeting,” SWB SU/1466, C2/3, 22 
August 1992. 

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action in Abkhazia and following the unsuccessful attack staged on Gadauta, the 
Georgian State Council, after its extraordinary session announced local 
mobilization of the reservists into the national army on 23 August.
612
 
Shevardnadze evaluated the above-mentioned decree of the Confederation 
as a declaration of war and urged the Russian authorities to take resolute measures. 
Otherwise, he said, “the events surrounding the situation in Abkhazia may grow a 
local conflict into a global confrontation.”
613
 
Thus, on 24 August, Shevardnadze and Yeltsin sum up the situation on a 
telephone conversation and decided to meet on 3 September 1992 in Moscow.
614
 
According to the Georgian State Council’s press service, “the two men condemned 
the activities of the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus which has 
announced its intention to defend the Abkhaz people.”
615
 Shevardnadze defined the 
decisions and actions of the Confederation as a gross intervention into Georgia’s 
internal affairs and asked Yeltsin to take responsibility over the borders and to 
close them to the ‘armed gangs’ from the North Caucasus sneaking into the 
Georgian territory.
616
 
This conversation changed the course of Russian involvement in the war.
617
 
On 25 August, the Russian Federation Ministry of Justice issued a statement where 
                                                 
612
 ‘State Council announces local mobilization,’ SWB SU/1468, C1/1, 25 August 1992. 
613
 “Mountain Peoples advance: report military success,” SWB SU/1469, C3/1 26 August 1992.. 
614
 “Yeltsin and Shevardnadze talks on Abkhazia confirmed,” SWB SU/1470, i, 27 August 1992. 
615
 “Yeltsin and Shevardnadze discus situation in Abkhazia,” SWB SU/1469, C3/3, 26 August 1992. 
616
 “Shevardnadze to meet Yeltsin: State Council considers Abkhazian situation,” SWB SU/1470, 
C1/2-3, 27 August 1992 
617
 At the beginning of the crisis Moscow chose to remain passive. The Russian government just 
released a statement on 18th August calling on the peoples of the northern Caucasus to display 
patience and good sense and abstain from actions that can further destabilise the situation in the 
region. See, SWB SU/1464, C1/2, 20 August 1992.And then a delegation of Russian deputies, under 
the leadership of the Sergei Baburin visited region. But the position of the Baburin as an opposition 
leader had no positive effects on the government’s policies. 

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it declared that the actions of the Confederation were a gross violation of the 
constitution of the Russian Federation. The Ministry accused the Confederation of 
claiming the role of the legal bodies of state power. The Confederation’s attempts 
to create a parliament, defence council and armed forces, the establishment of the 
post of commander-in-chief, the adoption of documents calling for the commission 
of terrorist acts were accepted as the proofs.
618
 The investigation of the case was 
entrusted to the prosecutor’s office investigation department. Investigation group, 
made up of officers from the ministries of Security and Internal Affairs, started to 
investigate the issue.
619
 In addition, the acting prosecutor of Kabardino-Balkaria 
issued a statement addressing to the leadership of the Confederation where he 
stressed that the decree signed by the Confederation’s leaders on 21 August 
declaring Tiflis a disaster zone is unlawful. He demanded the Confederation to 
cease its unlawful actions.
620
 Moreover, Russian internal troops and frontiersmen 
took the control of the frontier with Georgia and they established checkpoints and 
frontier posts to control the illegal crosses of borders.
621
 
While the judicial bodies of the Russian Federation were working on the 
legality of the decisions and actions of the Confederation, President Yeltsin 
convened a summit on Abkhazia on 3 September 1992 in Moscow. As a 
constructive response, Shanibov declared that from 1 to 4 September, the CMPC 
has stopped sending volunteers to Abkhazia. And, the result of the talks would be 
                                                 
618
 “Mountain Peoples acting outside the law according to Russian Justice Ministry,” SWB SU/1470, 
C1/2, 27 August 1992. 
619
 “Proceedings against Confederation of Mountain People instituted,” SWB SU/1471, C1/2, 28 
August 1992. 
620
 “Kabardin-Balkaria judiciary chief denounces Caucasus confederation,” SWB SU/1474, C1/1, 1 
September 1992. 

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