Ingushetia unrest

In the July 5 issue of Chechnya Weekly from The Jamestown Foundation, Mayrbek Vachagaev writes about the increase of trouble in Ingushetia, which is right next door to Chechnya.

Given this information, the news from Ingushetia in July reminds one of a series of frontline dispatches. Dagestan has long been seen as the powder keg of the region and even a short list of the potential problems in that republic shows just how complex the situation there actually is. There is, for example, the ongoing conflict between the government and the opposition “Sharia” jamaat, along with criminal conflicts amongst the highest government officials, and clan-based disagreements over the division of land in the lowland region of the republic; all leading to countless ethnic-based armed brawls and blood-lettings. Despite these issues, Dagestan has moved into the background over the course of the last month, handing the laurels for the most disturbances to Ingushetia. Unlike other ethnically-based republics, Ingushetia has no real inter-ethnic problems—similar to Chechnya during the last decade, Ingushetia is fundamentally mono-ethnic—or severe problems with crime. Even clan rivalries do not play a large part in the life of the younger and smallest of the North Caucasian republics.

The former minister of internal affairs of Ingushetia, Beslan Khamkhoev, has been removed from his post by a Presidential decree of Vladimir Putin and replaced by lieutenant-colonel Musa Medov. Khamkhoev took charge of the ministry after the famous attack undertaken by Shamil Basaev and his men on June 22, 2004, when a majority of the high-ranking security officers and members of the attorney general’s office were killed. For almost six months he was considered a temporary minister (the official appointment was announced only on November 27, 2005), suggesting that the Kremlin was not completely sure of the appropriateness of this step. Before this particular appointment, Khamkhoev was head of the republic’s OMON and was not considered to be particularly close to Ingush president Murad Zyazikov. Beginning in the summer of 2006, rumors about the new appointee’s upcoming replacement started to spread, with Musa Medov being considered a likely successor (www.regnum.ru, April 4, 2006). Following the abduction of one of his close relatives, Zyazikov had an unshakeable reason for demanding Beslan Khamkhoev’s resignation.

Changes in the leadership of the local ministries of internal affairs are fairly frequent occurrences, especially in those areas that border Chechnya (RIA Novosti, July 28). Candidates for these posts are selected solely on the basis of the Kremlin’s trust of their ability to unquestioningly carry out all of Moscow’s directives, rather than obeying the local authorities. Thus, the local ministries of internal affairs are under Moscow’s direct command, with the local leadership being unable to do anything except send complaints to the Kremlin or try to support the security apparatus in the hope of securing an ally against potential opposition forces. Given the current events in Ingushetia, it was unsurprising that a new minister of internal affairs was appointed. As always, Moscow needed months to find a new candidate and to deal with the excuses and explanations provided by the old office holder. Tradition dictates that those officials being removed from a high post will be transferred to a new posting, generally of a comparable level, as a way of not offending a former governmental servitor.

If we look at the events of the last two weeks, we will clearly see that life in the republic is full of incidents that go far beyond simple criminality. The issue is a level of socio-political tension that is higher than in any other part of the region.

As recent examples, Interfax said on Friday:

Militants attacked the 503rd motor rifle regiment in the village of Troitskaya, Ingushetia, early on Friday morning, the Ingush Interior Ministry told Interfax on Friday.

"A group of militants fired on the 503rd motor rifle regiment from fire arms and rifle attached grenade launchers early on Friday morning. None of the servicemen were wounded," the ministry said.

Kavkaz Center, which is a pro-militant website, said of this attack:

At least 13 occupiers were killed, according to information received from radio interception. About 25 were wounded. The numbers could be considerably higher, according to the command, since control observers reported that at least 10 charges hit the living quarters of the regiment barracks.

It was reported that 4 soldiers on the Mujahideen side were lightly wounded. The operation was carried out by a 70-strong subdivision of Mujahideen from the Caucasian Front, who were prepared and trained for quick raids in the rear of the enemy and for the assault operations.

ITAR-TASS reported on July 3:

Deputy head of the Pliyevsky municipal district in Nazran Khavash Daurbekov, 77, was killed in Ingushetia. The murder was committed at about 10.00 Moscow time on Tuesday in Karabulak not far from Daurbekov’s house, the press service of the republican Interior Ministry told Itar-Tass. He died of bullet wounds on the spot.