Latest Articles about North Caucasus
Ethnic Laks in Dagestan Organize to Defend Their Rights
The Lak National Council was established at a conference in Makhachkala on September 28 that was attended by 427 delegates from Dagestan’s Lak, Novolak and Kuli districts and towns with a significant population of ethnic Laks. The former head of the Dagestani branch of the... MORE
Ethnic Russians vs. North Caucasians–A Clash of Cultures?
An incident in Moscow at the end of September caused tension between Russians and people of North Caucasian descent in the Russian capital. The scandal was triggered by a group of Dagestanis. Following an old tradition, members of a Dagestani wedding procession apparently started shooting... MORE
Officially Sanctioned Kidnappings Alienate the Dagestani Public
The news from Dagestan in September was dominated by reports of militant actions, special operations and terror attacks, but the most worrying development has been the occurrence of multiple kidnappings by both security forces and militants. Indeed, kidnappings are the only events that lead people... MORE
Moscow Faces Hard Choices in Tatarstan and Wider Volga Region
On September 20, the Tatar youth activist organization Azatlyk staged a protest in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. The activists countered the demands of Tatarstan’s Russian population to drop the Tatar language from the curriculum of the republic’s public schools. The leader of Azatlyk, Nail... MORE
Moscow Tries to Tame Islam in Chechnya
Ever since Chechnya was conquered in May 1859, Russia has tried out various ways to weaken the role of Islam there. It was Islam that became the banner of the North Caucasians struggle during the colonization of the region by Russia in the second half... MORE
Insurgency Remains a Problem for Chechen Authorities
The Chechen authorities recently started to report regularly on hunting down militants in the foothills and mountains of the republic (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/212177/). Results of manhunts normally become known only if rebels are killed, but this happens much less frequently now than in 2011. Judging by open... MORE
Ethnic Russian Separatism in the North Caucasus Set to Grow
Clashes between ethnic Russians and non-ethnic Russian Dagestanis erupted in the village of Remontnoe in the southern Russian region of Rostov on September 13. Eight people reportedly were hospitalized as a result of the violence. The authorities said they prevented a much larger collision between... MORE
Russian Security Services Make Dubious Claims of Big Achievements
On September 20, the Russian security services claimed a landmark achievement in fighting insurgents in Kabardino-Balkaria, saying that they had carried out “one of the most successful special operations in the republic in the past several years.” Quoting sources in the security services, the newspaper... MORE
Relations Between Leaders of Chechnya and Ingushetia Deteriorate
In the wake of hostile exchanges between the Chechen and Ingush governments that started in late July, relations between the two republics could again seriously deteriorate following Chechen law enforcement actions on Ingush territory. Back in July, according to the Ingush side, an accidental explosion... MORE
North Caucasians Look to Tbilisi to Provide a Counterweight to Moscow
With the approach of parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 1, the intensity of political struggle in the country is increasing. The Georgian elections are a historical opportunity for the country to make a political transition via democratic elections. Until now, leaders have come to... MORE