Russia on 'brink of civil war' after Chechen leader declares 'blood feud'
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-on-brink-of-civil-war-after-chechen-leader-declares-blood-feud/ar-AA1s2zmk?ocid=msedgntp&;pc=DCTS&cvid=34c444adca8d48a29cd584cec7593a72&ei=15
By John Varga & John O'Sullivan
Irish Star
October 10, 2024
Chechnya's strongman Ramzan Kadyrov | © (Image: X social media)
Chechnya's strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has declared a blood feud against three politicians from Russia's restive North Caucasus region, raising the spectre of a significant interethnic clash.
The diverse ethnic tapestry of the North Caucasus, predominantly Muslim, spans several republics including Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia. Long-standing tensions between Chechnya and Dagestan, fueled by territorial and border disagreements, are on the brink of erupting into conflict.
Kadyrov, known for his ruthless rule, seemed to ignite further discord between the neighbouring republics by announcing a vendetta against two Dagestani politicians and one from Ingushetia.
During a broadcasted assembly with top officials, Kadyrov proclaimed: "I officially declare a blood feud against Bekhan Barakhoyev, Suleiman Kerimov and Rizvan Kurbanov," reports the Express.
Hailing originally from Dagestan, Kerimov and Kurbanov, while Barakhoyev is an Ingushetian native. Kadyrov has accused the trio of plotting his murder and of wresting control of Russia's biggest online retailer Wildberries from Vladislav Bakalchuk's estranged spouse.
The Chechen leader has pledged to aid Bakalchuk in reclaiming his wife and to thwart the fusion of their e-commerce behemoth with advertising conglomerate Russ. Anton Gerashchenko, once an adviser at Ukraine's Interior Ministry, remarked that the dispute between Kerimov and Kadyrov is the most "serious" in a decade.
"There is a serious discussion in Russia that it could lead to a war between Chechens and Dagestanis," he penned on his X social media channel. "A note from the Dagestan Interior Ministry said the blood conflict that the Chechen leader outlined today and accusations of organising his assassination are seriously destabilising the situation in the North Caucasus.
"According to political analysts close to the Kremlin, apparently Moscow is no longer able to extinguish or control this conflict. There are rumours that the National Guard of Russia and Interior Ministry forces will be redeployed to the North Caucasus, and it is also possible that army groups will be strengthened."
He noted that Kadyrov might need to summon back Akhmat units from Ukraine as tensions look set to spiral. The friction between Chechnya and Dagestan revolves around a long-standing territorial disagreement.
Ethnic Chechens in Dagestan, numbering about 16,000, along with Kadyrov, have intensified calls for Makhachkala to honour its commitment to return a Chechen district in the nation to them by the end of 2024.
Yet, such a move would likely necessitate the Dagestani government to displace Avars and Laks, who settled there following Stalin's deportation of the Chechens in 1944.
Dagestani officials worry that taking such steps could unbalance their country, lead Grozny to claim the reestablished Chechen region, and reignite other border conflicts.
Hmmm ... sounds like The Clinton Global Initiative needs to deploy Hillary to go over there with her reset button and straighten out them rowdy boys.
The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence
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