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Fragile states / Comment

Rebuilding Chechnya: from conflict zone to house of cards

04/12/2007 By Jessie Brouwers

The Kremlin insists to the outside world that the situation in the Republic of Chechnya is peaceful and stable. However, ongoing separatist activity in this North Caucasus republic seems to prove the opposite. In addition, similar patterns of terrorist activity, along with security forces brutality and other human rights abuses, occur in several of the remaining North Caucasus republics.

The two Chechen wars in the Nineties, and their aftermath, have to a considerable extent determined the current course of the Russian Federation. The conflict in Chechnya and several terrorist attacks on Russian territory resulted in tight state controls over the media and civil society and a significant increase in xenophobia and racist attacks.

The situation in Chechnya should be of great concern to the international community, firstly, because Russia is constantly violating international human rights agreements to which it is a party, and secondly, because an inflamed North Caucasus region could pose a serious international security risk.

Close monitoring of the situation in the region is therefore essential. All too frequently, the international community has given Russia special treatment, initially out of the hope that it would stimulate the country to follow the same democratic path as the West, and later because of Russia’s growing economic importance.

Due to this increasing economic and strategic power, the approach of the international community has shifted from political pressure to cautious political dialogue and humanitarian assistance. Russia receives structural financial support from the West, while large amounts of money are specifically allocated to Chechnya and the Caucasus region.

The Kremlin refuses to accept any conditions and on a political level declares Chechnya a “no go area”, however. Perhaps the international community will reconsider its position in response to Russia’s recently changed view on East-West relations.

President Putin’s forceful politics, together with Russia’s role in frozen conflicts on OSCE territory and the sabotage of the Kosovo negotiations have certainly paved the way for a more decisive international approach to the conflict in Chechnya.

This paper aims to describe the situation in the country and current Russian policy towards it. At the same time, it explores the positions of the European Union, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.


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Keywords

Central Asia and Russia Conflict resolution Corruption Democratisation Disarmament Divided societies Human rights Islam Russia

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Bio author: Jessie Brouwers

Jessie Brouwers holds an MA in Slavic Languages and Cultures (2005) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. She worked as Country Coordinator Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova at the Dutch section of Amnesty International (2004-2006).