Peacekeeping practice in the North Caucasus – 2

Author VK

Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District rounded up achievements in fighting extremism on the last day of autumn. Khloponin said at a meeting with the authorities of the law-enforcement structures in Yessentuki that 301 militants had been killed in the districts and 364 militants and their supporters were arrested. Some of the notable militants neutralized are an emissary of Al Qaeda and leaders of the Kavkaz Imamat. The envoy said that 118 terrorist cases were examined in the first nine months of 2011, with 155 people sentenced. The official noted that it is still too early to say that they had dealt a coup de grace to the underground resistance: “Instances of young people moving to the forests remain. There is some tension in Karachay-Cherkessia, where centers of militants remain, which is why there is still a lot of work to do”.

Experts of the working group for the Caucasus affairs of the Russian Public Chamber organized a round-table conference “Peacekeeping practice in the North Caucasus: experience, models, improvement of efficiency”. Andula Istamulov, head of the Center “North Caucasus – Strategy”, said that the authorities and the society of the North Caucasus have started to show a better understanding of the methods extremists use to achieve their goals. Such radical groups in the region were organized based on the principle of an underground network. Istamulov proposed the best method of fighting the network is an advanced network of local administrative authorities, clergy and public figures.

Such a principle of fighting extremism is used in Chechnya, it corresponds to the traditional clan-type principle of society. “The central power has only been using one method of fighting extremism and separatism so far – the reward and punishment method. Such a policy is inefficient”, Istamulov notes. He says that the program for fighting terrorism proposed by Khloponin has several benefits, compared with the old scheme. But the new scheme underestimates the potential of the institution of traditional clans in combating terrorism. “A clan member adopting the ideology of Wahhabism automatically leaves the subordination of his older relatives, violating the traditions of the clan system and showing a bad example to others. The government would be foolish to neglect this peculiarity,” Istamulov explains. The expert believes that another goal the government must fulfil is support for and development of traditional institutions of Islam in the North Caucasus as a counter-weight to radical extremist and separatist movements. Moreover, the institution of the civil society must be oriented towards fighting corruption and increasing social welfare. “We have been monitoring the institutions of civil society in the NCFD, in terms of efficiency, and we have come to the conclusion that they are quite successful,” Istamulov sums up.

The expert also touched upon the problem of rehabilitation of veterans of the wars in Chechnya: “The government has not made any steps in this sphere, people accustomed to war cannot find themselves any other employment besides living according to the cruel laws of war and joining the resistance. Radicalization of Muslim regions was also caused by the  incompetent behavior of the law-enforcement structures, lack of knowledge of Islam from officers and the inability to distinguish piety from radicalism. However, as Ibragimov noted, now “the moderate wing” of the underground resistance tends towards peaceful cooperation with the authorities, depriving advocates of violence from any social support.”

Alvi Karimov, press secretary of the Chechen leader, pointed out another problem in the North Caucasus: “Russian subject parts in the NCFD still have border-crossing posts between them, which does not contribute to a feeling of unity in the region. It gives a sense that we are moving from one country to another when we cross, for example, the border of North Ossetia and Ingushetia. You are sort of told that you are moving from the territory of one hostile state to the territory of another.”

Karimov underlined that the need for peacekeeping forces in the Caucasus is conditioned by the fact that the old authorities headed by Boris Yeltsin “pushed Chechnya out of Russian space” by signing certain documents with the authorities of Ichkeria, allowing it to feel as though it were a sovereign state that had detached itself from Russia forever. Karimov noted the achievements of Ahmat Kadyrov in the rapprochement of the “field commanders” of Chechnya with the official authorities and restoration of peace in the republic. This policy allowed 7,000 out of 15,000 people to return back to society from the underground resistance, because they were given a chance to lay down arms with honour, without being persecuted, despite numerous objections from short-sighted journalists and public figures. “None of the 7,000 people has taken up arms again, many of them have become notable members of society, even heroes of Russia, but, most importantly, the 7,000 people survived and managed to return to their families. Such successful public adaptation can be explained by the fact that those people, dragged into illegal armed formations with false promises, were given an opportunity to feel themselves full-fledged members of society and return to their old jobs. Yet those who really committed crimes were not left unpunished.” Alvi Karimov said that Ramzan Kadyrov continued the policy of his father and supervised the commission for rapprochement of sworn enemies personally last year. 451 conflicts were settled, or about 1000 families, or some 10,000 people stopped their blood feuds. “The authorities should seek dialogue with civil society not only when it is needed urgently, but permanently”, Karimov states.

Video: A. Karimov on peacekeeping practices in the North Caucasus,
A Istamulov on peacekeeping practices in the North Caucasus.