CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) – Over 2,000 Moldovan veterans of a 1992 separatist war with the pro-Russian province of Trans-Dniester on Friday accused Russia of sparking the conflict and called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region.
The war left over 1,000 people dead, with the separatists backed by Russian forces taking control of a sliver of land near the border with Ukraine.
Participants at the Friday gathering in Chisinau, which included President Vladimir Voronin, warned that the conflict could re-ignite as Trans-Dniester separatists continue to pursue their goal of gaining independence and then joining Russia.
“We know very well where the war was planned – in Moscow, which still holds the reigns and fuels separatism,” veterans union leader Eduard Maican said. He called on Russia to honor pledges to withdraw its 1,500 troops from Trans-Dniester, leftovers from the 14th Soviet Army.
Since 1992, the troops have acted as peacekeepers, with Russia, which openly backs Trans-Dniester, officially acting as one of the mediators in trying to find a settlement.
Voronin, a Communist who wants closer ties with the West, said the dispute with Trans-Dniester was difficult to resolve because its roots were in Moscow.
“At times it appears we are close to resolving the problem … to keep our Republic of Moldova together,” he said, adding that the Trans-Dniester crisis would remain a top priority for his government.
On March 2, 1992, Trans-Dniester paramilitary troops occupied a police station in the city of Tiraspol, sparking the war.
During the war, which lasted several months, Russian forces openly supported the separatist militias, intervening with tanks to fight the more lightly armed Moldovan troops.
