The Chechen Conflict

An Old Battle
Chechnya’s fierce resistance to foreign domination goes back a long, long way. The Chechens, a distinct Muslim people with a unique language and culture, have been surviving numerous attacks from would-be conquerors throughout the course of their 7,000-year history. Over the last two centuries, however, the greatest threat to the Chechens has come from their northern neighbour, Russia.

The first Russian invasion of Chechnya occurred during the time of Peter the Great, in the early 18th century. After a long series of fierce battles and bloody massacres, Chechnya was incorporated into Russia in the 1870s. Over 100 years later, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Chechens finally broke away from Russian rule and declared their independence.

Fighting for Control
However, it was only a matter of time (December 1994) before President Yeltsin sent his troops into the rebellious republic to quash the independence movement. The Russian government's expectations of a quick strike followed by Chechen surrender were misguided. The long and bloody war lasted 20 months and claimed as many as 100,000 lives. In 1996 it was finally brought to an end; Chechen chief of staff, General Aslan Maskhadov, was elected president and signed a peace treaty with Yeltsin.

Reports of Human Rights Violation
But the issue of Chechen independence was not resolved. Amid growing lawlessness, more clashes broke out between Chechen fighters and Russian troops, with Chechen rebels staging armed incursions into Dagestan in an attempt to create an Islamic state. In 1999, following a wave of bombings blamed on Chechen rebels, President Putin declared the need for an “anti-terrorist operation” and sent Russian troops back into Chechnya. In 2000 human rights organisations expressed their concerns about the alleged torture, rape and detention of Chechen civilians at the hands of Russian troops. These concerns were fuelled by the discovery of a mass grave filled with mutilated bodies.

Uncertain Peace
The 2002 Moscow theatre siege showed that Mr Putin has come no closer to sorting out the war-torn republic of Chechnya than any of his predecessors. Led by warlords, there are an ever-increasing number of Chechen rebel fighters who are ready to die and kill for their cause. In March 2003 the Kremlin called a controversial referendum, which approved a new constitution giving Chechnya more autonomy but stipulating that it remained firmly a part of Russia. Many have questioned the legitimacy of a vote held while wartime hostilities are still going on, and feel that this new ‘bogus’ constitution will do little, if not nothing to improve the Chechen situation.