| Country: | Georgia |
| Details of Formation: | The National Guard was a former rebel group created by Tengiz Kitovani after he was fired as leader of the official Georgian National Guard, which was founded in 1991 (UCDP additional information). It consisted of dissident official National Guard members. The group was involved in the coup of January 6, 1992, deposing President Gamsakhurdia, and Kitovani became one of the two leaders of the Military Council that then invited Shevardnadze to head the future government (Wikipedia). Subsequently, Kitovani’s National Guard became the state’s de facto army (UCDP). |
| Details of Termination: | Kitovani’s National Guard was dissolved in January 1993 after disagreements between Tengiz Kitovani and President Shevardnadze. |
| Purpose: | The state relied on the National Guard as de-facto army, in the absence of a regular proper army (UCDP). |
| Organisation: | The National Guard was headed and commanded by Tengiz Kitovani who also served as Defense Minister under Prime Minister Shevardnadze. Kitovani had significant influence on decision making and was sometimes acting without previous agreement with the government, e.g. when he got involved in Abkhazia (Wikipedia). The National Guard was Kitovani’s personal force, with the regular government lacking real control over them. |
| Weapons and Training: | -- |
| Size: | The National Guard had around 15,000 members out of which 7,500 joined Kitovani’s opposition fraction (UCDP additional information); news sources speak of 15,000 men in the opposition force. |
| Reason for Membership: | -- |
| Treatment of Civilians: | -- |
| Other Information: | The National Guard as coded in the PGMD describes Kitovani’s faction of the National Guard. |
| References: |
Uppsala Conflict Data Program. “National Guard and Mkhedrioni. “ http://www.ucdp.uu.se/#/actor/332 Uppsala Conflict Data Program. “National Guard and Mkhedrioni. Additional information.“ http://www.ucdp.uu.se/additionalinfo?id=332&entityType=0 ) Wikipedia. “Tengiz Kitovani”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengiz_Kitovani |