Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Sukhumi

Significance

The Sukhumi massacre occurred during and after the fall of Sukhumi to Abkhaz separatist forces in the course of the War in Abkhazia. Georgian civilians in the city were targeted primarily by Abkhaz separatist militia and their North Caucasian allies. The violence formed part of a broader ethnic cleansing campaign against the Georgian population carried out by separatist forces. The fall of Sukhumi and the accompanying atrocities marked a decisive shift in the war, consolidating separatist control over the Abkhaz capital and driving large numbers of ethnic Georgians from the region.