The legal case for self-determination in South Ossetia and Abkhazia

The legal case for self-determination in South Ossetia and Abkhazia 

Do ethnic South Ossetians and Abkhaz qualify for self-determination under international law. As in previous chapters addressing the cases of East Timor, Kosovo, and Chechnya, this issue will be analyzed in detail later. 

The first issue with respect to the legality of self-determination under international law for any group is whether the group constitutes a people. This question can likely be answered in the affirmative for both the South Ossetians and the Abkhaz. The South Ossetians and the Abkhaz satisly the subjective criteria of peoplehood both groups feel a sense of self and uniqueness 

Why have international solutions been so different for Kosovo than for South Ossetia and Akbhazia In other words, why has the international community supported independence for Kosovo, while failing to extend the same level of support to South Ossetia and Abkhazia The answer lies in the great powers rule and its application to the conflicts in the Caucasus. 

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