The War in Abkhazia between 1992 and 1994 is waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side and Abkhaz separatist forces supporting independence of Abkhazia from Georgia on the other side.

Ethnic Georgians who live in Abkhazia fight largely on the side of Georgian government forces.

Abkhazia’s population of ethnic Armenians and Russians largely supported Abkhazians, and many fight on their side.Handling of this conflict is aggravated by the civil strife in Georgia proper between the supporters of the ousted Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and the post-coup government headed by Eduard Shevardnadze, as well as the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.Significant human rights violations and atrocities are reported on all sides, and peak in the aftermath of the Abkhaz capture of Sukhumi on September 27, 1993, which is followed by a large-scale campaign of ethnic cleansing against ethnic Georgian population (officially recognized by the OSCE and also mentioned in UN resolution GA/10708).

From 13,000 to 20,000 ethnic Georgians are reported to be killed and approximately 3,000 Abkhaz, more than 250,000 Georgians become internally displaced and refugees, and 2,000 are considered missing.Post-Soviet Georgia is heavily affected by the war and suffers considerable financial, human and psychological damage.

The status of Abkhazia, which has been devastated by the war and subsequent continued sporadic conflict, remains undetermined, and the region remains heavily dependent on Russia.