Thursday, 21 July 2005
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Moldovan Reintegration Minister Vasily Shova accused yesterday Russian peace-keeping forces in Transdniestria of illegal weapon employment and attempts to pull off peace settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict following a shoot-out at a Russian peace-keeping post after Kyivs proposals to include Ukrainian contingent into peace-keeping forces in Transdniestria.
The incident occurred Tuesday evening on the bridge over the Dniester, 40 km off Chisinau. Members of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and Promo Lex NGO involved in the incident say they were on the way back to Chisinau and took pictures of a billboard which read Have a Good Trip! Dubossarsky District?, after which they were detained by Russian peace-keepers who demanded that the activists film be exposed. Soldiers did not introduce themselves, nor did they name the reasons for the detention, a representative of Promo Lax recounted. He said the situation was alarming, then two machine gun bursts followed.
Yesterday, Moldovan minister of reintegration commented on the situation after he had visited the spot of the incident. He says representatives of NGOs and a US citizen made a stop to take a picture of a billboard. Russian peace-keepers who were on day on the bridge said unauthorized shooting was prohibited and demanded the films. A squabble gathered hundreds of locals, then the chief of the post, Senior lieutenant of Russian peace-keepers, fired in the air. Mr. Shova emphasized that some events happening in the security zone on the banks of Dnieser are uncontrolled by the joint control commission and peace-keeping forces and undermine the peace settlement in the region. He shouldered the responsibility on the Russian peacekeepers saying the incident shows the necessity of altering the composition of the peace-keeping forces and the peace-keeperss status. Earlier this week Kyiv proposed to include the Ukrainian contingent into the peace-keeping forces, Tiraspol favored the initiative, while Chisinau stated it should be decided during negotiations.
Officials from the breakaway republic of Transdniestria defended the Russian military men claiming the conflict had been triggered by Moldovan radicals who carried out unauthorized video and photo shooting and caused disorders in response to the peace-keepers admonitions. Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident a deliberate provocation?.
by www.kommersant.com
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