The Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and the self-declared republic of South Ossetia was closed on Saturday, rendering relatives unable to visit one another.
The move was made by the authorities in South Ossetia to "ensure security" during the period around the eight anniversary of the Georgia-Russia war, which broke out on 8th August 2008.
All checkpoints along the ABL will remain closed until 9am on August 9, said the authorities in Tskhinvali, the capital of the self-declared republic, according to Agenda.ge.
After the 2008 conflict, a 400km long border fence was progressively installed along the ABL, with access heavily restricted. The boundary has been closed many times in the past, particularly around major celebrations or at contentious political moments.
SOURCE: commonspace.eu and agencies
PHOTO: Russian and Ossetian officials constructing a fence on the administrative boundary around South Ossetia on Wednesday 31 July 2013. Photo by Molly Corso (c) commonspace.eu
