Danish Refugee Council ASF / Danish People’s Aid North Caucasus Situation Report No. 35 DRC/ASF PROGRAM OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMED CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA 31 March 2001 Latest deve lopments The attitude of Russians to the situation in the Chechen Republic has Other News changed. According to the results of express - interrogation of "VCIOM" (Whole-Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies), about On March 28, the Chechen change of public opinion testify answers to a question about what in rebel leader, Aslan general to do with the Chechen Republic. Supporters of war Maskhadov, called for an operations for the past year became almost twice less (38 % against international inquiry into 70 one year ago); the number of those who supports peace talks, on crimes allegedly committed the contrary, has twice grown (30 - 59 %). Only 12 % of the by the Russian forces and interrogated agree with the official point of view, that "peaceful life is separatist rebels in the restored" in the Chechen Republic. Almost half of the interrogated republic. The rebel side considers that achievement of the order in the Chechen Republic will proposes to all countries to be possible only in many years. Eight percents think, that Russia set up an independent nevertheless will have to recognize independence of the Chechen commission which can look Republic. in to all crimes committed in Chechnya”. Moscow is set According to the Russian Deputy Interior Minister, the strength of against the idea of an rebels in Chechnya is now between 3,000 and 5,000 people. Among international inquiry and the areas where militants are the most active were mentioned Grozny considers the conflict an (up to 70% of the total number of rebel actions in Chechnya), Argun, internal affair. The appeal Urus-Martan and Achkhoi-Martan. came after a Chechen envoy met with a senior On March 22, speaking on the second day of a joint meeting in U.S. State Department Moscow of a Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe official in Washington last delegation and the State Duma's Commission on Chechnya, Russian week, drawing ire from Prosecutor-General Vladimir Ustinov ruled out a role for the PACE in Moscow which accused the investigating allegations of crimes against civilians and other human U.S. administration of rights abuses in Chechnya. "If we need assistance we shall not be talking to "terrorists." ashamed to ask for it, but we do not need it now," stated Mr. Ustinov. According to the Prosecutor -General, his office has opened investigations into 200 separate cases of who disappeared after being detained by Russian troops, stressing that "no offense or human rights violation" will escape notice. He added that he had The first meeting of the taken under his personal control the investigation into the murder of Russian Security Council several dozen whose bodies were found in a mass grave on the under its new Head, former outskirts of Grozny in late February. Russia's Chief Military Interior Minister Vladimir Prosecutor Mikhail Kislitsyn told the same session that his staff is Rushailo, took place in the investigating 62 crimes committed by Russian servicemen against Kremlin on 29 March. Upon Chechen civilians. President Putin's order, the priority issue for On March 23, the OSCE envoy Aleksandr Kornja announced that dis cussion was the OSCE would resume its mission in Chechnya, for lack of any restoration of Chechnya. "political" obstacles. The mission will resume its activities in the Putin himself said the key breakaway Caucasian republic "as soon as some technical problems principle of restoration are solved". The OSCE office in Chechnya may reopen as soon as should be to "restore only safety of the OSCE employees could be assured. The OSCE what we are able to representative made the statement after meeting Ruslan Aushev, safeguard." The Council President of Ingushetia, who also expressed hope that OSCE's return resolved that, "the to Chechnya "would help in making the situation normal." As part of restoration of the social his visit to the North Caucasus, Mr. Kornja also visited numerous sphere of Chechnya must camps sheltering Chechnya IDPs in Ingushetia. OSCE closed its become the most important office in Chechnya when the latest conflict broke out there on October component of the “counter- 1, 1999, and refused to return to Chechnya as long as a potential terrorist” operation”. security threat to staff members remained unaddressed. However, the Security Council considers that the On March 23, the Union for Restoration of Peace and Concord in approach must be rational, Chechnya, led by the RF Duma Deputy, Aslambek Aslakhanov, held i.e. the federal government a national conference. Its participants decided to hold a national will not make any significant congress of Chechens in May. At the first such congress in 1990 its investments into anything delegates split in two: half insisted on absolute independence from that could potentially be the Russian Federation, while the other half were supporters of destroyed and that moderate sovereignty like that of Tatarstan. A year later, power in enterprises capable of Chechnya was seized by supporters of absolute independence, led making significant by retired air force general Djokhar Dudaev. According to contributions to the budget Aslakhanov, his idea has been supported by Chechen public should be the priority movements, regional diasporas, the Head of the Chechen recipients of the federal Administration, Akhmad Kadyrov, and Federal authorities. Aslan restoration funds. This Maskhadov's representatives are also invited to the congress. obviously includes the republic's oil industry, all the On March 23, unidentified kidnappers abducted former Acting Head more so that over the past of the Chechen Administration, Yakub Deniyev, in Moscow. Deniyev's four months the industry has relatives later received a telephone call from unidentified people who earned some $7.2 million demanded a $500,000 ransom for the hostage. Law enforcement from the sale of over 80 agencies have not yet released the circumstances of Deniyev's thousand tones of oil. abduction, claiming secrecy of the investigation. However, increasing the output of Chechen oil is On March 25, the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament's Committee being hindered by rebel for Relations with Peoples of the Caucasus, Vakhtang Shamiladze, attacks and the continued announced that the estimated 7,000 refugees from Chechnya theft of oil. The Security currently living in Georgia's Pankisi gorge must return to Chechnya Council also resolved that before the end of this summer. According to him, the present situation the return of Chechen IDPs in Chechnya is "relatively stable," and that the continued presence of from Ingushetia is a priority the Chechen refugees in Georgia would only create problems for the task. The chief of the Georgian authorities. Security Council's department for security On March 28, the Chechen Prime Minister, Stanislav Ilyasov, made a issues in the North statement according to which Chechnya will soon be able to receive Caucasus, Vladimir Silinsky about 60,000 IDPs who fled the republic. The first group of IDPs - said, "It's high time to return 1,500 to 2,000 people - can come to the republic on 10 April. The the IDPs from Ingushetia. people will live in "temporary accommodation centers", and They are already confronted apartments and dormitories will be leased for them. "We will try to with the problem that their remove all tents by the end of the year", added the Prime Minister. hosts are fed up with them." DRC/ASF Registration Ingushetia DRC/ASF continues maintaining and updating information on the Chechnya IDPs in Ingushetia. Presently, there are three DRC/ASF Information Centers (IC) established on the territory of Nazranovskiy, Malgobekskiy and Sunzhenskiy Districts of Ingushetia. The centers collect written requests for registration from IDPs, verify the already submitted data with information included into the database. Also, based on the information accumulated at het Information Centers, the DRC/ASF registration teams study and check each application for registration. As of 30/03/2001, the total number of the displaced registered with DRC/ASF in Ingushetia constituted 154,211 persons. Chechnya According to the latest registration by DRC/ASF of 30/03/2001, the total number of people registered by the agency in Chechnya constitutes 794,684 persons, having as many as 139,840 inner IDPs listed in the DRC/ASF registration database. Distribution Ingushetia WFP/DRC/ASF Joint Program of Emergency Assistance DRC/ASF distribution of WFP food Based on the supplies provided by WFP, a total of 21,002.05 MT of Food rations food items have been distributed by DRC/ASF from 18/02/1999 to ü W/flour 13,5 kg per person 8/03/2001 in Ingushetia. ü Oil 1 L per person ü Sugar 0,5 kg per person ü Salt 0,15 kg per person Due to problems with food pipeline facing by WFP, from 9 March 2001, DRC/ASF had to suspend distribution of WFP food commodities for Chechnya IDPs in Ingushetia. DRC/ASF warehouse facilities ü Malgobek (UNHCR non - food) 1,098 m2; DRC/ASF permanent distribution points in Ingushetia: ü Nazran “Kamaz-Center” (DRC-UN Joint Warehouse) In Ingushetia, DRC/ASF distributes food commodities through 23 3,960 m2; ü Nazran-3 (DANIDA-ECHO distribution points (DP): food/non-food) – 1,302 m2; NAZRAN: Plievo, Nazran City, Altievo, Gamuzi, Barsuki, ü Nazran-4 (DANIDA-ECHO Nazyr -Kort. non-food/building materials) – 470 m2; ü Nazran –5 (DANIDA -ECHO SUNZHA: Sleptsovskaya, Alkhasty, Galashki, Muzhichi, building materials) – 2,547 Troiskaya, Nesterovskaya, Chemulga. m2; ü Plievo (EU food) – MALGOBEK: Psedakh, Sagopshi, Noviy Redant, Zyazikov-Yurt, 2,750m2. Voznesenonskaya, Aki -Yurt, Verkhniye Achaluki, Sredniye Achaluki, Nizhniye Achaluki.