|
|
|
|
TITLE: Hardship and Terror in Chechnya |
AUTHOR: Peter d'Hamecourt, RN |
PUB: |
DATE: April 18, 2001 |
|
In Grozny, nobody reacts to the sound of gunfire. It's always there, during the day and especially at night. Shoot-outs between Chechen rebels and Russian troops are part of everyday life in the Chechen capital. The Russians claim they are in full control and even say that the situation in the republic is gradually getting back to normal. But the grim reality is a far cry from these assertions. Over the past year, thousands of people have returned to the bombed-out ruins of Grozny. Many more are still living as refugees in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia. They have no place to return to. For the inhabitants of Grozny, life is a constant struggle for survival. Clean water is scarce and the danger of catching a contagious disease is always there. The sewage system has been completely destroyed during last year's offensive. Sometimes, the stench is almost unbearable. The only food produced within the boundaries of the city is bread. For many Chechens, the only way to make ends meet is by selling things in one of the local markets that have sprung up all over the city. Fear But more than these everyday inconveniences, the people of Grozny fear the Russians. Russian soldiers, as well as the special OMON police units, rarely venture into the city itself and prefer to stay at their base on the outskirts of the city. But their appearance is always fraught with danger, explained Zara Magomedova, a Grozny inhabitant: "I am looking for my brother, for twelve months already. On the 17th of April 2000 he came to see his house. He was a refugee living with his parents in Avtury. Now he has disappeared from the earth. The OMON from Khanty-Mansiisk arrested him and put him in temporary custody. He had all his documents with him.'' The Disappeared Zara relates about numerous cases when people she knew were taken away by the Russians and disappeared. In one case soldiers said 'Bring us 3,000dollars and you get your brother.' But his body was ultimately found in amass grave, which was discovered last month on the outskirts of Grozny. Among some fifty bodies found there, at least 17 were identified as civilians who had disappeared in preceding months. Most of them had been taken away by Russian soldiers. And this can happen to anyone, says Shomkhan Khaisumov, one of Zara's neighbours. "It is worse than when they were bombing. Because today they drive around in their jeeps and they can pick you up any time and you disappear without a trace. Even when eyewitnesses have seen this they will say: we haven't seen anybody. That is how my brother disappeared.'' In today's Chechnya, people are being killed on both sides every day. Russian troops continue to use aviation and artillery in their pursuit of rebel groups that are hiding out in the mountains. The rebels, for their part, target local officials whom they consider collaborators with the Russian authorities. They attack Russian checkpoints and army columns, and many civilians are being killed in their operations. Russian Killings But according to human rights organisations, the scale of random killings by Russian troops in Chechnya far exceeds the number of similar crimes committed by Chechen rebels. As a result, even those Chechens who initially welcomed the Russian incursion, hoping that it would end rampant crime and kidnappings in their republic, have now turned against them, says Elisa Musayeva of the human rights group Memorial, operating from neighbouring Ingushetia. "During one and a half years, the Russian army has been provoking the situation in such a way, that 99.99 per cent of Chechens now sympathise with the rebels. The Russian army sees Chechens as either refugees or rebels, with no clear boundary between them. What can you do, when even General Shamanov says that the wife of a rebel is a rebel herself, and the son of a rebel is also a rebel? Today, being a Chechen means that you're an outlaw." In these circumstances, the number of potential Chechen fighters is only increasing, which means that a durable, peaceful solution to the conflict now appears farther away than ever. This in spite of the assertions given by Russian president Vladimir Putin in his recent state of the nation speech to parliament. According to Putin, Russia's military campaign in Chechnya is nearing its end and its main objectives have been achieved. END |