Danish Refugee Council ASF / Danish People’s Aid North Caucasus Situation Report No. 32 DRC/ASF PROGRAM OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMED CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA 12 January 2001 Latest developments Other news The Office of the Prosecutor of Chechnya gave an official explanation for the December 20 shooting at the teachers' training college in Grozny and the On December 18, bodies of three deaths of students and a teacher. The press service of the head of the Russian soldiers were found near Chechen administration has shown an interview with prosecutor Vsevolod the Ingush village of Alkun. The Chernov on local television, who claimed that the tragic developments began local Ministry of Interior has started with the explosion of an armored vehicle carrying federal troops. The explosion a criminal investigation on the was followed by an exchange of fire. The troops contacted their command and group murder. requested help reporting the target at which fire was supposed to be opened. Chernov said mortar fire was opened but the mortars missed the named target In the end of December 22 judges killing civilians. “The tragic result was caused by either criminal negligence or started working in Chechnya. All of evil intent,” he said and expressed confidence that the investigation will them came to the republic from determine who had been responsible and this person or persons will be other parts of Russia to set up punished. Classes at the college have been suspended and the faculty and judicature on the republican and students are in mourning. district levels in Chechnya. On December 23, a group of liberal members of the lower chamber of the On December 22, two policlinics Russian parliament, the State Duma, met with seven members of Chechnya’s were opened by charity the parliament, elected in 1997 after pro-independence fighters drove Russian organization “Islamic Relief” in the troops from the republic. At talks, which took place at night in the neighboring- IDP tent camps “Alina” and to-Chechnya Republic of Ingushetia, both sides signed a five -point protocol. “Sputnik ”, Ingushetia. The According to one of representatives of the RF parliament delegation, Boris construction was conducted in Nemtsov, the signed document “could become the beginning of a political cooperation with the local branch solution”. of EMERCOM. Nikolai Kondratenko, who in the beginning of January will delegate his responsibilities to the newly elected Governor of Krasnodar Krai, stated on December 24 that the time had come to hold talks with the leader of pro- independence movement in Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov. “I strongly believe that the time has come to organize such negotiations. We say that Maskhadov’s authority is not In late December, the Chechen legitimate, but the people elected him. We should show to the international pro-independence field commander community that we want peace for our people, and that we promote it”, Shamil Basayev warned that the commented Nikolai Kondratenko on the issue of talks between the President war in Chechnya would continue Maskhadov and Kremlin. On the same day, the Governor of Stavropol Krai, for at least the next 100 years if Aleksandr Chernogorov, made the similar statement. According to him, Russia did not withdraw its troops, Moscow should do everything it can to stop the war in Chechnya, where “our saying that the Russian army people are being shot every day. It’s enough, it’s time to stop it.” The governor would never be able to defeat the stressed that the Federal Authorities are to undertake all possible efforts, Chechen separatist forces. "Our including negotiations with Aslan Maskhadov. tactic is to have no tactics. We are nowhere to be seen. We have In the speech made on 25 December, the Russian President Vladimir Putin chosen a method of warfare that stated that the problem of Chechnya could be resolved only with the help of the the Russians cannot predict. We're Chechens themselves. He stressed that “the main accent will now be put on in control of the situation. Whether social rehabilitation and economic restoration” in Chechnya. Speaking about this war lasts 10, 20 or 100 years, the further steps, Putin said that “the military action must be carried to its we will fight on," Basayev stated. conclusion” in Chechnya. He recalled that a well trained and equipped 42nd He added that all the different division and a brigade of interior troops were now permanently deployed in Chechen rebel units were fighting Chechnya. “Military operations will be continued by special units in some under a single command. highland areas of the republic. They must be formed of professionals,” the president stressed. “At the same time, we must gradually normalize the situation and set up local administrative bodies there, Putin stated. The According to the Department of the president came out in support of Akhmat Kadyrov, the head of the RF Ministry of Interior in the administration of the Chechen Republic. He said that Kadyrov would continue Chechen Republic, recently there to be “the central authority in Chechnya” and will discharge his functions “until have been registered an increase we go over to other methods of settling political problems of this kind to the in hi-jacking of criminals on civilian election of the head of the republic”. transport in the republic. Thus, on January 9, there were three such On December 27, one of close aides of the Chechen President, Aslan incidents. One of them happened Maskhadov, once again emphasized the position of the Chechen pro- in the town of Argun, when a car of independence leader regarding negotiations with the Federal Authorities saying the Chief Doctor of the Argun City that “Maskhadov is the president of an independent state and it is Hospital was stopped by armed inconceivable to impose such conditions on him. Earlier, the PF President’s unidentified persons. After taking Plenipotentiary in the Southern Federal District of Russia, Mr. Kazantsev, the vehicle the criminals declared that Moscow would only deal with Maskhadov if he publicly disappeared. Also in the village of apologizes for his actions. Gekhi, a group of armed people attacked and took a lifting crane- On January 9, at around 14:00, the Head of Medicine Sans Frontieres – truck. Another incident took place Holland’s (MSF-H) Mission in the North Caucasus, Kenneth Gluck, was in Leninskiy District of Grozny, kidnapped when leaving the village of Stary Atagi (20 kilometers south of the when criminals wearing masks hi- republican capital Grozny). A group of unidentified militants in camouflage jacked a civilian vehicle. uniform and masks attacked convoy of several vehicles with the above MSF-H representative and his colleague, Jonathan Little, who has been working for On January 10, the Press Service another humanitarian organization – Action Contre La Faim (ACF). The MSF-H of the President of the Chechen worker was forced out of his car into the attackers’ vehicle, which then Republic of Ichkeria made an disappeared. The remaining national and international staff, including the ACF official statement on the officer, managed to get away safely after the attack. In a statement, MSF-H kidnapping of the disappearance of has expressed its extreme concern over the fate of their colleague and outrage the US citizen Kenny Gluck, “at the direct attack on a clearly humanitarian convoy that was delivering representative of the independent medical assistance to the Chechen population”. MSF-H urged that “whoever international organization "Doctors may be holding their colleague will respect his physical and mental integrity Without Borders". According to the and will release him unharmed”. Russian officials accused the aid workers of statement of the pro-independence entering Chechnya without proper authorization. However, MSF-H rejected Chehen structures, “military units such criticism, adding that the relief workers were in constant contact with of the Armed Forces of the military authorities in the breakaway Republic of Checnya. “We would like to Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, have state that we never work without permission. Every two weeks, no part in the kidnapping of the we put forward a program to the military authorities, who then give permission MSF-H employee”. for which cars and people are allowed to go to Chechnya”, the Head of the MSF-H Mission in Russia told on January 10. IDP Movements Source: Ingush Territorial Representative Office of the RF Ministry for Federal Affairs, Migration and Ethnic Policies. IDP movements 3500 Chechnya IDPs Chechnya IDPs leaving 3000 Date coming to Ingushetia Ingushetia for Chechnya IDPs coming to from Chechnya 2500 Ingushetia from Chechnya 14/12/200 2134 1987 2000 IDPs leaving IDPs 0 1500 Ingushetia for 19/12/200 2075 1704 Chechnya 1000 0 500 22/12/200 1865 1724 0 0 23/04/2000-09/01/2001 9/01/2001 2436 1986 All mentioned IDP movements have been recorded at two main checkpoints between Chechnya and Ingushetia: Kavkaz-1 and Adler-20. According to the Ingush Territorial Representative Office of the RF Ministry for Federal Affairs, Migration and Nationality Issues (former Migration Service of Ingushetia), presently, the total number of the displaced living in Ingushetia is exceeding 175,203 persons (official figures). Out of them, 143,789 persons are registered by the Territorial Office in Ingushetia, who have received the necessary registration documents, i.e. form no. 7, and can be considered as entitled to get the humanitarian aid from the state sources. DRC/ASF Registration Ingushetia DRC/ASF continues its registration project in Ingushetia. As of January 8, the total number of Chechnya IDPs included into the computerized registration database is 147,282. Before including any person into the database, five DRC/ASF registration teams, each consisting of a registrar and a lawyer, visit the IDP temporary accommodations in Ingushetia in order to confirm that the people do actually live in the territory of the republic and did not come to Ingushetia for getting registered with DRC/ASF and as a result to be entitled to humanitarian assistance delivered through DRC/ASF.