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FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE
Bulletin of HRC "Memorial"
03.2006
Discrimination
The situation of Ingush IDPs from Prigorodny District of North Ossetia and methods of conflict resolution
The events of the last several years in the North Caucasus show how serious are the consequences of unresolved conflicts in the region. One of the most vivid examples of unresolved contradiction is the Ingush-Ossetian conflict, which after the collapse of USSR has become the only episode of ethnic war in post-Soviet Russia.
Ingush-Ossetian Conflict of 1992: roots and consequences
The central point of the Ingush-Ossetian conflict is the territorial dispute over the status of Prigorodny District of North Ossetia and the right bank of Vladikavkaz. In 1992 in the conditions of weakened state and social instability in the region, a territorial dispute spiraled to armed confrontation.
The Ingush-Ossetian conflict is rooted in Stalinist nationality policy: post-war deportation of Ingush and arbitrary change of territorial borders in the region. In 1924 on the territory, which included present day Ingushetia and the neighboring areas of residence of Ingushis – Prigorodny district and part of Vladikavkaz (right bank of Terek river) - was created Ingush Autonomous Oblast’ (region). In 1934 Ingush Autonomous Oblast’ was merged with Chechen Autonomous Oblast’ into Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Oblast’ (region), while Vladikavkaz was “given” to North Ossetia. Prigorodny district became part of Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Oblast’, which was soon upgraded to Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Republic. After the Stalinist deportation of Ingushis and Chechens to Central Asia in 1944, Prigorodny district was transferred under the jurisdiction of North Ossetia.
In 1957 when the repressed peoples were allowed to return from exile, Chechen-Ingush Republic was restored, however, Prigorodny district remained part of North Ossetia. Ingush return to the area was discouraged: Moscow treated repressed peoples with suspicion, while republican authorities, anxious about territorial claims, created difficulties with employment and domicile registration.
In 1982 the Council of Ministers of the USSR issued an edict (¹ 183) «On limitations of registration of citizens in Prigorodny district of North Ossetian ASSR», which denied registration to certain citizens in the area. This edict was de facto enforced only in respect of Ingushis.
However, Ingushis returned anyway, bought the houses, which belonged to them before deportation back from the Ossetians; lived illegally (without registration) or bribed officials into registering them. Many studied and worked in Vladikavkaz, were treated in the republican hospitals; and in spite of relatively high tensions in their relations with the Ossetians, the percent of mixed marriages was rather high.
The ideas of “return of the lands” and “restoring historical justice” were popular among Ingushis ever since deportation. However, the demands to return Prigorodny district were for the first time overtly verbalized only in 1973, during the renown (suppressed) protest of Ingush intelligentsia in Grozny. In the end of 1980 the problem was discussed widely and openly. The conflict was catalyzed by the law “On rehabilitation of the repressed peoples”, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on April 26, 1991. The 3d and the 6th articles of the law stipulated “territorial rehabilitation”.
The law reinvigorated demands by the Ingushis, gave them legitimacy and legal grounding. In the conditions of general turbulence in the region, free access to weapons and absence of effective mechanisms for channeling political cleavage, the spiral confrontation resulted in armed conflict.
On October 31, a classical ethnic conflict broke out, the active phase of the conflict lasted from October 31 to November 6, when, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, 583 persons were killed1, 939 injured2, 261 went missing3, 1093 taken hostages4. The casualties among military servicemen, involved in separation of the warring parties and ensuring security the following months amounted to 66 killed. 130 servicemen were injured5.
The distinctive feature of the Ingush-Ossetian conflict was the fact that there existed an indisputable, legitimate authority, recognized by both sides – this was the Federal Center, which could act in the capacity of a neutral mediator. Unfortunately, the federal authorities appeared incapable of standing above the conflict and becoming a truly neutral arbiter and a force driving both sides towards reconciliation.
Towards Resolving of the Ingush-Ossetian Conflict
A few hours after the escalation of violence high rank Moscow officials arrived to the region and on October 1, the position of the Federal Center was verbalized by general-colonel Filatov, a deputy chairman of the state committee for emergency situation. In an interview to the Ossetian TV G. Filatov said:
“Today… the first plane has arrived with paratroopers, hardware and arms, which will be located on the territory of Ossetia. Russia has not forgotten its faithful sons, the Ossetians, who have served it faithfully for many years. And already today…the paratroopers will start actions against the aggressors… I think it will not take long to cleanse here…”6
The statement of General Filatov transformed into action and as a result of joint efforts of the federal troops and the Ministry of Interior of Ossetia, the Ingush population almost entirely fled Prigorodny district, over 3,000 houses were burnt, the overwhelming majority of them Ingush. According to different estimates 30-60, 000 Ingush were forced to leave their historic homeland in Prigorodny district of North Ossetia and its capital city Vladikavkaz; the majority of them fled to the neighboring Ingushetia.
Since then the state has invested significant effort in “liquidation of consequences of the conflict”, i.e. rebuilding infrastructure and housing. A special agency was created – Temporary Administration, subsequently renamed into The Office of the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Zone of Liquidation of the Ingush-Ossetian Conflict (hereinafter ‘the Office of the Special Representative’), which was located, however, not on a neutral territory but in the capital of North Ossetia Vladikavkaz. This agency effectively transported IDPs to the places of their permanent residence (upon agreement with both sides), solved the problems rehabilitation of infrastructure, housing, and documentation. However, the efforts at protecting IDPs, eliminating discrimination and exclusion, as well as creating preconditions for sustainable peace and healthy neighborly relations between the two peoples were obviously inadequate.
Relief provided to IDPs of Ingush nationality was limited to providing them with temporary shelter (wagons, barracks). Regardless of numerous applications of Government of Ingushetia, camps of Ingush IDPs never received an official status of Temporary residence centers, which means they were not eligible for state subsidies to utility payments and rehabilitation of dilapidated shelter.
As a result, 13 years later this category of migrants exist in the condition of exhaustion, below the poverty level, with ruined physical and deteriorated the mental health. In 3-4 years children who were born in the camp "Majskii", will turn into disappointed and socially marginalized young people. In the unstable conditions of the Northern Caucasus, such unhealthy environments are conducive to radicalization and criminalization of youth.
During the 13 years the state failed to address the reason of Ingush-Ossetian conflict –the territorial dispute, to find a political solution to the problem or at least a fair scheme of government in the post-conflict region. After the events of 1992 the negotiations of the conflicting sides were focused on the issue of return of Ingush IDPs to North Ossetia.
Until today the Ingush and the Ossetian sides cannot reach a consensus on the issue of how many Ingush have the right to state assistance in resettlement.
According to various estimates, 30 - 60,000 Ingushis were forced to leave their houses and look for refuge in Ingushetia as a result of armed conflict in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia and in Vladikavkaz. In 1992-1993 Migration service of Ingushetia asserted that 61, 000 Ingushis fled Republic North Ossetia – Alania (RSO-A). On November 10, 1992 Galazov, the Chair of North Ossetian Supreme Soviet, verbalized the figure of 32. 782 IDPs.
The difference in figures can be explained by the fact that before 1992 the percent of Ingush population living on the territory of North Ossetia without registration was very high. Due to the policy of restraint adopted by the republican authorities and to limitation of registration, practiced since 1982, Ingush for decades lived in Prigorodny district without registration in passport agencies. In 1992 these people appeared unable to prove the fact of their residence or property ownership in Republic North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A). According to the Office of Special Representative, up to 50% of post-war Ingush housing had inadequate registration or no registration at all. When households expanded, new houses would not be added to books. Moreover, a widespread source of income for Ingush men until 1992 were seasonal works in Central Russia or Central Asia, where brigades spent several months a year doing (mostly construction) works. Up to 10,000 Ingushis could have been in this category of “unregistered” citizens. Thus, the situation that we face today originates from the politics of ethnic discrimination and mismanaged registration policy in 1970s, 80s and 90s.
As «Memorial» monitors were explained in the Office of the Special Representative, in 1993-1995 was carried out a campaign for collecting applications from Ingush families, who intended to return to RNO-A. The number of applicants amounted to 45, 000 persons. After verification of signatures, elimination of repetitions and errors, 40, 953 persons remained on the list. Further on was done a thorough work for confirmation of the fact of residence for each family on the basis of address databases of Ministry of Internal Affairs, agencies of local self-government and republican executive authorities. From above described check up the Office of the Special Representative derived the figure - 31.224 persons and 5.515 families. These citizens were acknowledged eligible for receiving state assistance in their return to RNO-A.
On December 13 1993 the President of the Russia Federation adopted a Decree ¹ 2131 “On the measures to return refugees and forced migrants to places of permanent residence on the territories of Republic North Ossetia and the Ingush Republic”. The Decree stipulated IDP return to 4 settlements of Prigorodny District - Chermen, Dongaron, Dachnoje, Kurtat.
The process of IDP return started in August 1994. By then 6,463 out of 9,045 registered Ossetian IDPs have returned to the places of their permanent residence. The return of the remaining 2,582 people was a matter of funds for reconstruction of destroyed housing, which were soon found and the problem resolved.
The process of return of Ingush IDPs was impeded by the Ossetian authorities and the Ossetian population of in the localities. The authorities of North Ossetia often ignored the agreements they signed, while former Ossetian neighbors met Ingush returnees with demonstrations of protest, showered IDP convoys with stones and heavy objects. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Ingushetia has registered numerous cases, when as a result of assaults on IDP convoys, Ingush returnees were either injured or killed7. The report by the advisor to the President of the Republic of Ingushetia M. Buzurtanov addressed to then incumbent President of Ingushetia Ruslan Aushev, states that in the period of March 1998 to December 1999, the return of Ingush IDPs was disrupted 94 times. None of the participants in these assaults on IDPs were punished according to law.
In spite of difficulties Ingush IDPs returned home. Presently, Ingush return to 13 villages of Prigorodny district. Before the Ingushis lived in 29 settlements of Prigorodny district, however, after 1992 Ingush families expressed an intention to come back only to 16 villages. IDPs refuse to return to villages, where Ingush population is not numerous or settled in a dispersed manner.
According to the Office of Special Representative as of January 1, 2004 state assistance in return has been provided to 3,942 families of Ingush IDP, amounting to 21, 560 persons. These IDPs are considered returned to their places of permanent residence in RNO-A. According to the Office of Special Representative as of May 1, 2005 state assistance in return was provided to 3942 families of Ingush IDP, amounting to 21885 persons. However, in fact many of them were unable to return8. These IDPs are considered returned to their places of permanent residence in RNO-A.
A significant improvement in the region was registered after 1999. The same year under the pressure of the Office of the Special Representative was abolished the notorious thesis “on impossibility of mutual co-existence with the Ingush”, adopted by the Supreme Council of the North Ossetian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1992. On October 11, 2002 the presidents of Republic North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A) and Republic Ingushetia (RI) signed the Agreement “On development of cooperation and good neighborly relations”. For the first time since the end of the conflict the authorities of the republics made such a significant political step toward each other, have replaced confrontational rhetoric for discourse of cooperation and constructive interaction.
Monitoring regularly carried out by HRC “Memorial” in Prigorodny District revealed that in 2002-2004 the situation had significantly changed for the better. The most favorable psychological climate is in the villages, where the return has happened, particularly, where the Ingush and the Ossetian settlements are not fragmented into ethnic enclaves, with each quarter having mixed Ingush-Ossetian population (eg. Dongaron, Kurtat). Interviews with the locals revealed that most easily the contact is established by middle aged generation of 40-50, who have previously had the experience of mutual communication, most infrequent contacts are among youth. Teenagers and youth, whose socialization was shaped by the conflict and post-conflict experience, avoid interaction.
Important role in perpetuation of this division is played by the system of separate schooling, practiced in some villages (eg. Chermen) of Prigorodny district. The decision to introduce separate education was taken by the authorities out of fear of possible clashes on national grounds. However, the teachers at schools with mixed classrooms (Dongaron, Kurtat) explained to “Memorial” monitors that there have been no ethnically colored conflicts in their schools.
In spite of the general reduction in tension in the area as a whole, there remains a number of settlements where the return is not going on. These are the so-called “problematic” settlements, where, according to the authorities of RNO-A, the “moral-psychological climate” for the return of Ingushis is not “ripe”. Problematic villages of Prigorodny district are: Terk, Chernorechenskoje, Oktyabr’skoye, Ir, (partly) Yuzhny, (partly) Chermen, the middle part of the village, (partly Tarskoje), right side of the village, (partly) Kambileevskaia, three streets.
In Vladikavkaz, the return occurs very slowly, in spite of the fact that a number of families managed to restore voluntarily the right to ownership of their flats. Thus, according to the Office of the Special Representative, by the end of 2003, 113 flats in Vladikavkaz were returned to their previous owners of Ingush nationality voluntarily or in an administrative way (through courts). Some families restored their right of property ownership in Oktyabrskoje town, however, according to the information at our disposal, they do not reside in their apartments, but rent them out to tenants. According to the Ministry for Nationalities of Republiñ of Ingushetia/
Problematic villages also include the settlements, which fall into the so-called “water-protection area”. According to the According to Statute ¹186 Government of RNC-A of July 25, 1996, 5 villages (Terk, Chernorechenskoje, Yuzhny, Balta and Redant) belong to the so called “zone of sanitary protection of sources of drinking water supply”. Households in this area are to be destroyed and their residents - resettled9. 80% of the housing aimed for destruction belong to Ingushis. Presently all the Ingush residents of the area remain forced migrants. The Ingush side considers that the zone of sanitary protection of Ordzonokidzovsky water reservoir is significantly inflated with the aim to prevent the repatriation of Ingush IDPs, the Ossetian side insists that the problem is purely environmental and has no political dimension to it. Human Rights groups have repeatedly turned to the federal authorities with appeal to pass a politically neutral decision on delineating the borders of the water protection zone, but so far the federal center considered it impossible to interfere.
In the 13 years very little has been done for conflict transformation, for overcoming negative stereotypes and combating discrimination in respect of the Ingush returnees to North Ossetia
According to the official statistics presently there are over 21,000 Ingush residents in North Ossetia, which makes them the third largest ethnic group in the Republic (after Ossetians and Russians). Ingush are not represented in state institutions, the returnees with a handful exceptions are not represented in the republican law enforcement agencies (thus, in the village of Chermen where there live about 5,000 Ingush and 3,000 Ossetians there is no single Ingush militiaman). In bigger settlements the Ingush and Ossetian children go to separate schools, the access to employment is virtually nil, accept for the institutions proving for the needs of the Ingush themselves, medical care and education are limited.
The Situation in Prigorodny District After Beslan
Human Rights groups have repeatedly expressed concerns that unresolved conflicts are dangerous by new acts of violence.
The tragedy of Beslan resulted in unprecedented growth of ethnic tensions in Prigorodny District. This was not an obvious consequence of the tragedy of September 1-3 in Beslan, because, firstly, the demands of terrorists had nothing to do with the Ingush territorial claims to Prigorodny district, moreover, in the terrorist group were Chechens, Ossetians, ‘individuals of Slavic nationalities’.
During the first hours after hostage-taking when Memorial monitors arrived to the school, the relatives who gathered at the building of the palace of culture were discussing the information which was announced in media that the hostage-taking was carried out by the terrorists of Ingush dzamaat led by Magomed Evloev. By that time nobody saw terrorists in the face and it is totally unclear how this information could emerge and in the press. On September 2, after Aushev released 26 children from the school, the crowd near the Palace of Culture started to discuss the possible links between Aushev and the terrorists in the school.
The authorities did not try to disqualify these myths; moreover, during the days closely following the tragedy they supported the groundless myth of link between Beslan and the Ingush-Ossetian conflict of the last 12 years.
The leading federal and republican printed press published interviews with political scientists and other experts who implicitly or explicitly linked Beslan with 1992.
Such speculations had deep resonance in the region. At the same time, the reaction to Beslan tragedy in Ingushetia received no coverage in press. The facts that the Ingush government during the first days expressed condolences to the Ossetian people and planed to attend the perishing ceremonies (which they were denied access to), that Ingush children collected money (2 mln. rubles) and toys to the children of Beslan (the convoy with humanitarian aid was stopped at the administrative border and returned back to Ingushetia), the employees of ministries of education and culture allocated their daily salaries to the victims of Beslan, the elite troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Ingushetia offered their assistance if storming was to become necessary during the hostage taking crisis, so that the Ossetian law enforcement did not loose their men, remained unknown to the Ossetian public.
Media manipulations resulted in that the myth of the ‘Ingush trace’ of Beslan became deeply imprinted in the minds of part of the Ossetian population.
Such manipulations with mass consciousness are not accidental. The day after the tragic outcome of Beslan President Putin announced that Russia was under attack of international terror. This way, the horror and indignation of the Russian citizens was projected into a blurred amorphous object—international terror. At the local level the grief and aggression of the victims of Beslan tragedy was projected onto the closest neighbors-the Ingush. The essence of this maneuver is for the federal and local leaders to avoid responsibility for mass fatalities among hostages and avoid open discussion of the true reasons behind Beslan- failed policy of the Federal Center in Chechnya.
After Beslan the return of Ingush IDPs was suspended for eight months. Since then Ingush patients have be denied treatment in the hospitals of Vladikavkaz, the students of Higher Educational Establishments of Ingush and Chechen nationalities were transferred to universities in other regions of Russia. In the last six months 6 Ingush were abducted by unidentified people, one of them was found dead with marks of severe torture on his body. The investigations into these crimes have not had results. The issue of opening up the new villages had been off the agenda. The plan, developed by the authorities of the Southern Federal Okrug in 2005, stipulates the resolution of the Ingush-Ossetian conflict by 2007, and instead of returning IDPs to the places of their permanent residence orders their resettlement in vacant spaces at the border of Ingushetia and North Ossetia.
HRC «Memorial» has doubts whether the new plan will bring sustainable peace to Prigorodny District. This plan will result in further disillusionment of the Ingush population, which will not only loose the disputed territories (for which they consider having the right according to Law on Rehabilitation of the Repressed Peoples), but also their Constitutional right for free choice of settlement. The Ingush population will undoubtedly perceive this solution as loss, the conflict will be suppressed, which will make the region conflict –prone for decades.
HRC «Memorial» warns: in resolution of ethnic and political conflicts the federal center should take the position of neutral mediator, who takes into consideration the interests of both sides. It is also important to understand that in the region operate real terrorist networks, which employ local grievances to recruit young men into their groups. The resolution of the Ingush-Ossetian conflict should be based on the principles of equality and justice, only in this case there will be achieved security and social peace.
1 Including 350 Ingush and 192 Ossetian
2 including 457 Ingush and 379 Ossetian
3 including 208 Ingush and 37 Ossetians
4 including 708 Ingush and 289 Ossetians
5 A. Dzadziev. The Ingush-Oset conflict: The Roots and the Present Day // Journal of Social and Political Studies. 2003, ¹ 6 (24).
6 Quoted in Zdravomyslov. The Ossetian-Ingush Conflict: Perspectives of Getting out of Deadlock Moscow. Russian Independent Institute of Social and National Probles, Professional Sociological Assiciation. ROSSPEN. 1998. p.64
7 Thus, according to MVD of Republic of Ingushetia on 30.03.94 in the village Tarskoje citizens of Ossetian nationality attacked a funeral convoy of Ingush woman Khautiva, deceased on 29.03.94. The assault took place in the Presence of the Head of Temporary Administration Lozovoj, Generals Butyko and Shapovalov. As a result of the attack 6 Ingush citizens received injuries. No one was punished according to law for the assault. 23.08.94. Representatives of Temporary Administration brought the family of Nalgievs to the place of their permanent residence in the village Chermen, Lenina Street. At 4 p.m. a large group of Ossetian citizens got together tat the house of Nalgiev family and threatened to kill them if they do not get back home. The crowd burnt the house of Nalgievs and destroyed their property. The personnel of Temporary administration had to bring Nalgievs back to Ingushetia. No one was punished according to law for this assault. More cases of obstruction of return of Ingush IDPs see in book “Two years after the war”, HRC “Memorial”.
8 For example, 70 families from the middle part of the village Chermen received parts of financial assistance for restoration of the destroyed housing, however, they are unable to use the funds, since the central part of Chermen remains a ‘closed’ area. In the meantime due to high inflation the money has devaluated and is no more sufficient.
9 Edict ¹ 89 government of RNO-A of May 18 1998 ãîäà «On resettlement of citizens, residing in the zone of sanitary protection of water supply».
