Chechnya

Trapped in the midst of a Guerilla War with Russia

Credit: the Guardian

Abstract

With animosity between Russia and Ukraine increasing, it is time to take a closer look at Russia’s internal affairs, as well as external. The region of Chechnya has long represented an “issue” for Moscow, as a consequence of the fight for independence led by some separatist groups in the region.

Context

Chechnya is a republic within the Russian Federation. It is geographically positioned in the Northern Caucasus region, between the Caspian and Black Seas. It shares a land border with the former Soviet country of Georgia, and it is a separatist region of Russia, often being the place where violent incidents and insurgencies take place. It is predominantly inhabited by Chechens, a group with origins enrooted in the Nakh people, native to the Northern Caucasus, who are a largely Muslim population.

Chechnya has been invaded numerous times since time immemorial; the Golden Horde Khanate, Imperial Russia, Persia and the Ottoman Empire all sought passage through the region inhabited by the Chechens, as it was a strategic stronghold.

The beginning of the Ruso-Chechen conflicts was in the late 18th century, precisely in 1785, when the then-imam of Chechnya, Sheikh Mansur, began preaching a united Islamic population in the Caucasus, a geopolitical move that would’ve led to the destabilization of the Russian Empire. All Russian efforts to crush the Chechens into submission were, however, suppressed by the far more important and urgent need to halt Napoleon’s advancements into Russia during the 1812 invasion led by the French emperor.

More than a century later, after the Russian October Revolution and the ascension of Lenin as ruler of communist Russia, the republics forming the Northern Caucasus established the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus. After Stalin personally negotiated with the representatives of the republic, they came to an agreement and formed the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was later split into six smaller republics, amongst which was the Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

After the breakup of the USSR, Chechnya declared its independence from Russia, becoming the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Its freedom was, however, short-lived. Russian forces invaded the region and took over the capital city of the region, Grozny, forcing the hand of Chechen politicians. By the early 2000s, Chechnya was, yet again, a part of Russia, having the statute of republic, along with 20 internationally recognized other constituent units (the Russian Federation claims to be made up of 22 republics, among which Crimea, but the later isn’t officially recognized by the international community as a part of Russia, due to the annexation from Ukraine of the region by Russian forces).

Issue

The main concern of the Russian occupation and de facto control over Chechnya has created deep animosity between the Chechens and Moscow. During the Soviet period, almost half a million Chechens were taken from their homes and displaced in Central Asia, in a gruesome act of ethnic cleansing. They were eventually allowed to go home, but only after a massacre of proportions had taken place -- during the Khaibakh massacre, close to a thousand Chechen children, women and elderly were locked in a barn which was set on fire by Soviet authorities. Some sources point that almost 400,000 Chechens perished as a direct result of the mass deportations, mainly of causes such as hypothermia and starvation, although several massacres had also taken place, such as the Khaibakh massacre.

The attempted Russification of the inhabitants of Chechnya has done nothing but anger and pit Chechens against the central government, thus creating further faults between the two. As a predominantly Muslim population in a majoritarily Orthodox Christian country, the Chechens feel unwanted and wish to break away from Russia, seeing in independence the potential freedom to choose how to live their lives, without the laws imposed by Moscow.

However, life in Chechnya is hard as it is. The de facto ruler of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is leading a regime of fear and terror in the region. Targeted killings and stalking of members of the opposition all over Europe make outlookers uneasy about the current situation in Chechnya.

Conclusion

While NATO and the international community wait impatiently for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian tensions, taking a step back and focusing on a more local, yet controversial region of the Russian Federation is vital in understanding how Russia impacts not only its neighbours, but its constituent regions as well. Whether it is Russian forces or Chechen authorities that sow distrust and hate in the region, one thing is clear: Chechnya’s future will not be the brightest.

Bibliography

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Chechnya.” Encyclopedia Britannica, February 13, 2019. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/place/Chechnya.

Deutsche Welle. “Chechnya”. February 17, 2021. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.dw.com/en/chechnya/t-38384339.

BBC News. “Chechnya profile”. January 17, 2018. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18188085.

Walker, Shaun. “‘We can find you anywhere’: the Chechen death squads stalking Europe”. The Guardian. September 21, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/21/chechnya-death-squads-europe-ramzan-kadyrov.