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Wed, 17:21 18 Nov 2009 GMT17

 
Chechnya and the North Caucasus

Last reviewed: 28-07-2009

TWO WARS FOUGHT SINCE 1994


Chechen rebels have fought Russian forces in two wars since 1994. The region's pro-Kremlin president says the war is over and Grozny the capital has been rebuilt, but fighting still blights everyday life and human rights activists say kidnappings, torture and police abuses are still rife.

  • Up to 75,000 killed in two wars
  • Human rights abuses rife
  • Tens of thousands still displaced by war

    Russia has managed to subdue large-scale resistance in the region and install a loyal local administration, although sporadic clashes between soldiers and rebels are not unusual. Fighting has largely shifted to Chechnya's neighbours - Ingushetia and Dagestan.

    Aid workers in Chechnya say the fear of being caught in the crossfire has been replaced by fear of intimidation from security forces loyal to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel leader.

    War casualties are impossible to pin down, but Russian human rights organisation Memorial estimates up to 75,000 civilians died or went missing in two conflicts since the region declared independence in 1991.

    The rebel cause, initially focused on independence for a region culturally distinct from Russia, has become increasingly influenced by Islamists.


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