CHECHNYA:

Kindergarten children at play stumbled on a mass grave in the capital city of Djohar (formerly Grozny). The site is believed to contain the bodies of 17 civilians who disappeared in August, 1996, after refusing to serve as human shields for Russian army troops desperate to break out of their encirclement by Chechen forces. Chechen authorities have asked Moscow to identify the detachment that was present in the area at the time. … Before leaving to attend the World Islamic Congress in the United States, Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov met with Prime Minister Kirienko in the Caucasian republic of Ingushetia. The meeting produced no public statements or communique.