One bridge and some APC's are all that separates two fraternal enemies - on one side is pro-Russian Abkhazia, on the other pro-American Georgia. Even though it has been 15 years since Abkhazia declared independence, Georgia has not given up hope of reestablishing control over this small self-proclaimed republic which no other country recognises.

"I am like everyone else, I'm afraid that war will break out and the situation will degenerate," says Irman Djantoury, a Georgian woman who lives in Abkhazia. Today the bridge is calm but Irma Djantouri is worried about the growing tension, the skirmishes along the border and the Georgian drones which were shot down over the Abkhazia coast.

The Georgian military is sure that a Russian figher jet shot one of these drones. For them that is proof that Moscow is behind the recent rise in tensions. But in the Russian capital, Georgia is being accused of preparing for war to try and regain territories which it lost after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
 

"Georgia's policies regarding Abkhazia or south Ossetia and Georgia's insistence on wanting to join NATO are certanly not helping to improve relations with Russia,” says Russian deputy Oleg Morozov. Far from getting better, relations between Moscow and Tbilisi are getting worse. And, on the bridge in Zugdidi, the sight of Russian soldiers in blue helmets doesn't help. "They have sent new Russian troops, the situation is complicated and that scares us,” says Irman Djantouri.

Like a lot of Georgians, Irma Djantouri was shocked by the images of columns of Russian APC's deployed as reinforcements in Abkhazia.  "Russia increased the number of so-called peace-keeping forces in Abkhazia, sending in not only peace-keeping troops but heavy equipment," says Nino Bourdjanadze.

Irma Djantouri thinks that her future is being decided well away from the bridge she crosses every day to see her family who are refugees in Georgia. "Nobody wants war, not Abkhazians, nor Georgians, not even the Russians... but it's the Russian government which decides everything". Irma hopes Russia will have no interest in reviving the conflict which she believed ended 15 years ago.