Latest Articles about North Caucasus

Will Yevkurov Follow the Chechen “Model” for Restoring Order?

In an article published in Gazeta on November 1, Sanobar Shermatova quoted an anonymous official who knows Yunus-Bek Yevkurov as saying that the colonel was appointed president of Ingushetia with the specific task of introducing order in the republic. The official also said that Ingushetia’s... MORE

Ingushetia’s Parliament Confirms New President

Ingushetia’s parliament on October 31 confirmed Yunus-Bek Yevkurov as the republic’s president, replacing Murat Zyazikov, who resigned the previous day (North Caucasus Weekly, October 31). According to Itar-Tass, 16 legislators out of the 18 who attended the session voted to confirm the 45-year-old colonel, while... MORE

MORE THAN 80,000 INGUSH DENY THEY VOTED IN STATE DUMA ELECTIONS

Following Russia’s State Duma elections last December 2, the United States and some European government said the elections had been neither free nor fair, and Golos, Russia’s only independent vote monitoring group, reported that they had been accompanied by “mass violations” across the country (Independent... MORE

PUTIN STILL HOPES ECONOMIC BOOM WILL HEAL NORTH CAUCASUS

On October 18 Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual TV call-in show in the Kremlin. Questions came from teachers, students, scientists, farmers, and doctors from across Russia's 11 time zones. Two questions came from the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, which prompted him to... MORE

KREMLIN INTENSIFIES MILITARY BUILD UP IN NORTH CAUCASUS

On July 30 the Kavkaz Center website posted a new statement from Doku Umarov, leader of the Chechen rebels and the North Caucasus insurgency. Umarov declared, “We [the insurgents] are ready for any kind of big event. Many ask when a large-scale attack will be.... MORE

SECURITY OFFICIALS KIDNAP ALLEGED “WAHHABIS” IN DAGESTAN

Two recent conferences provide markedly different views on the situation in Dagestan. While the local government blames Islamic fundamentalism, human rights activists decry human rights violations. While Makhachkala’s leaders preach religious tolerance, law-enforcement officials carry out kidnappings, torture, and executions. On June 6 the government... MORE

POLICE BARRACKS ATTACKED IN INGUSHETIA

At midnight on Tuesday, June 19, a group of militants attacked a police special-task force facility in Karabulak, Ingushetia. The garrison actually had members of two special-task police units inside: an Ingush one, and another consisting of assorted Russian officers sent to the republic from... MORE