Chechnya - [DHA: 15.Sep-31.Oct.97]

UNITED NATIONS INTER-AGENCY HUMANITARIAN
PROGRAMME FOR PERSONS DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE EMERGENCY
SITUATION IN CHECHNYA, RUSSIAN FEDERATION

SITUATION REPORT OF THE DHA COORDINATOR
Based on field reports and covering the period
15 September - 31 October 1997

GENERAL
On 16 September Interfax reported that a special security unit in
Chechnya had freed three hostages from the neighbouring Republic of
Daghestan and arrested three suspects. Chechnya's first Deputy
Prosecutor General and recently appointed Head of Anti-kidnapping Unit
in Chechnya, Magomed Magomatov, was quoted by Interfax as saying: "at
least 93 hostages remain, including 16 Russians and several foreigners."
According to Federal Security Service (FSB) officials, 52 people have
been abducted in Chechnya since the beginning of the year. A total of
1,590 people are missing, including 66 civilians and 14 foreigners (out
of which seven are aid workers).

More than five thousand people watched on 17 September in Grozny the
execution of two men by a firing squad. They were accused of killing two
women and an 11-year-old girl and were sentenced to death by the new
Islamic Shariat court. The number of those publicly executed in
September reached four. Moscow authorities denounced the September
executions and declared them to be a violation of international law.
Chechnya insisted that Moscow had no jurisdiction over its laws. However
it was announced on 21 October that Gusein Batukaev was appointed as new
Head of Chechnya's Shariat Court to replace his predecessor, who was
dismissed for carrying out public executions. The new court has already
sentenced some bandits to life imprisonment.

On 27 September the Russian-Chechen Joint Commission failed to make any
progress in regulating bilateral relations between Moscow and Grozny and
the positions of the sides are still far apart. It was suggested that a
new meeting between Russian President and his Chechen counterpart might
help overcome the deadlock between the two sides.

On 29 September Boris Yeltsin said that an inter-state treaty with
Chechnya would never be implemented and that sovereignty for Chechnya is
possible only within the Russian Federation.

Around eighty representatives of the Russian President, the Federal
Government and the Interior Ministry in Chechnya were expelled from
Grozny on 1 October after a dispute over flight clearance through
Russian airspace for Chechen Vice-President Vakha Arsanov who wished to
fly to Azerbaijan.

Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin gave up his post as the Chief
Representative to Chechnya on 8 October. President Boris Yeltsin signed
a decree replacing Rybkin by Valentin Vlasov, previously the Deputy
Federal Representative in Chechnya. The Chechen leadership characterised
this appointment as a step by Moscow towards establishing inter-state
relations with their Republic. Moscow, however, explained it as a part
of a general downsizing of Moscow's mission to the territory and five or
six Russian Representatives would be posted in Chechnya, bringing the
number to a level similar to that in other regions of the Federation.
Meanwhile, the federal mission to Chechnya established itself in Mozdok,
a large Russian military base in the Republic of North Ossetia 110
kilometers north of Grozny.

On 11 October a senior federal official met with Chechnya's President
and agreed that Chechen negotiators could present their views on a draft
treaty to the state Duma on 14 October. The next day Aslan Maskhadov,
after meeting with Chechen officials, decided that Checnya would not
take part in the parliamentary hearing on Chechnya's status.

Russia's lower House of Parliament, the State Duma, held closed hearings
on 14 October on the situation in the North Caucasus and on progress in
negotiations between Moscow and Chechnya.  "Peace, territorial integrity
and great patience form the basis of our relations with the Chechen
republic," Rybkin said.

On 30 September military commander Salman Raduyev was seriously wounded
when his car exploded after he left a Grozny television station. His
bodyguard was killed and Raduyev was hospitalised with burns over a
large part of his body. It was the fourth attempt this year on Raduev's
life. In brief remarks to reporters Raduev said he believed Russian
"special services" were responsible for the attack. Moscow officials
denied the allegation.

Repair work on Chechnya's war-damaged oil pipeline is expected to be
completed by end October. To be protected against possible sabotage it
will be guarded by two Chechen national guard battalions. Boris Nemtsov,
Russia's first Deputy Prime Minister said (according to Itar-Tass) that
Russia could not be dependent on the "whims" of Chechnya's leaders, at
least as regards the transportation of oil, electric power and freight
and explained Russia's plans to bypass Chechnya and build a new stretch
of oil pipeline that goes around the restive territory.

Subsequently, Minister of Interior Anatoly Kulikov also said that a
bypass pipeline is vital and timely because, apart from Azerbaijan oil,
the amount of which will reach 200 thousand MTs this year, it will
probably carry oil from other countries.

General Director of the Dagneft Company, deputy of Daghestani Parliament
Gadzhi Makhachev declared at the session of the Parliament on 24
September that the Federal Government supported their project for
construction of a 500 km. pipeline bypassing Chechnya and that agreement
had already been reached with USA firm REDD on a 300 million investment
to the construction and technical service of the pipeline.

Vice-President of Chechnya Vakha Arslanov declared this project to be
hopeless and said that Chechen Republic was ready to take care of their
strategic interests.

On 17 October, TV news showed new victims killed and injured by land
mines in Chechnya and reported that their number was increasing. It was
shown that Chechen women themselves were doing mine clearance on their
pieces of land before letting their children play in the field. The HALO
TRUST Mine Danger Area Report for Chechnya issued at the end of August
identified 286 danger areas in Chechnya and predicted that, as more
people return, the pressure to use the land will increase and so
accordingly will mine accidents.

SECURITY INCIDENTS
Two aid workers from Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) were kidnapped on
23 October in Grozny and led away by a group of 10 to 15 Chechens, who
broke into the HIA office at about 3:00 a.m. They searched the office
and stole money, some documents and a satellite phone. A third employee
was not taken hostage and is now at the OSCE Grozny Office.

An Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) France aid worker, seized in Nazran 1
June, escaped from kidnappers on 20 October and was reported safe in the
Grozny OSCE office. The next day a dispute erupted between the OSCE and
Chechen anti-terrorist chief Khankar-Pasha Israpilov, who was not
allowed to get into the OSCE building to question the aid worker.


On September 20, two representatives of the International Organisation
for Christian Charities (IOCC), were abducted near the village of
Aki-Yurt (Ingushetia) by a group of unidentified gunmen in camouflage
uniforms. They had just finished a food distribution at the site.

The Second Deputy Head of the Ingush FSB was found hanged in his office
in Nazran on 25 September. Reportedly the "suicide" was committed after
a conversation with high-ranking FSB officials, who had arrived in
Nazran to investigate the kidnapping of the Head and the First Deputy
Head of Ingush FSB.

Given the deteriorating situation in Ingushetia, MERLIN established a
base in Vladikavkaz for overnight stay of its international staff, and
Medecins du Monde (MDM) moved its office/residence to Grozny.

In the village of Predgornoye (Mozdok District of North Ossetia) one
policeman was killed and two seriously wounded while pursuing an armed
gang in a UAZ-vehicle on 18 September. One criminal was killed, while
the rest escaped.

On 20 September ten unidentified individuals fired machine guns and
anti-tank grenade launchers on the village of Stary Batakoyurt
(Pravoberezhny District of North Ossetia) for 30 minutes. No casualties
were reported, but several houses on the north-west outskirts of the
village were seriously damaged. In the same village on 30 September at
around 9:00 p.m., a fire erupted at one of the oil wells. No casualties
were reported but the oil-extracting equipment was destroyed. Splinters
of grenades were discovered at the site.

Two militia checkpoints on the border between Ingushetia and North
Ossetia, near the village of Zilghi (Pravoberezhny District), were fired
at by unidentified gunmen at around 2:00 a.m. on 25 September.

On 28 September in Khasavyurt region one Chechen was killed and two
detained. As it was reported, they made an attempt to steal a car from a
parking place.

DELIVERY OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
At the end of September the return movement from Daghestan to Chechnya
was completed. School clothes were distributed to 476 IDP children from
the families of Chechen, Russian and Daghestan background, who decided
to stay and be integrated in Daghestan. The programme there had been
phased out and the UNHCR office closed on 27 September. In order to
complete residual activities, UNHCR signed an agreement with MSF Belgium
to implement a number of small medical assistance projects and an
arrangement with a group of local university and political experts on
setting up a refugee counseling centre and providing UNHCR with early
warning information in case the situation in Daghestan deteriorates. A
contribution of lasting value is the Aktash river waterworks project at
a cost of some USD 250,000, which substantially improved the water
supply to Khasavyurt town.

In Ingushetia 1,070 IDPs returned during the month of September to
various locations in Chechnya. Distribution of relief items reached some
100 beneficiaries in two locations during the reporting period. A
contract on winterisation of the Troitskaya children's boarding home
accommodating 95 children including orphans from Chechnya, and a
contract on repairing gas supply to barracks inhabited by some 80 IDPs
were signed and the implementation of the projects started.

In North Ossetia 278 returnees have been assisted by UNHCR in the
Prigorodny district. WFP also provided materials for returnee packages
in the form of bulk food and humanitarian daily rations. During the
reporting period, 56 persons were repatriated to different districts of
South Ossetia and Georgia. UNICEF finalised the distribution of
educational materials for orphans and refugee families attending schools
in Ardonsky, Alagirsky and Prigorodny districts and the Danish Refugee
Council, a UNHCR implementing partner, selected beneficiaries for
housing self-repair programme.

In Chechnya contracts were signed for the rehabilitation of three
schools, benefiting some 3,000 children, and a bakery in Shatoy,
supplying free bread to some 4,000 beneficiaries and a contract was
signed for cleaning the basement of a collective centre in Gudermes,
which will benefit some 600 IDPs. Two water bladders were installed in
Bamut to supply the village residents with water. UNHCR distributed
educational materials in 12 UNHCR-rehabilitated schools targeting about
4,500 children. UNHCR distribution of various relief items, mainly
clothes and footwear reached some 300 beneficiaries and UNHCR food
distribution programme for some 5,200 beneficiaries in collective
centres started at the end of September.

In Kabardino-Balkaria 375 IDPs were assisted by UNHCR in voluntary
return to Chechnya. Individual educational materials were distributed to
some 400 IDP children accommodated in collective centres to enable them
to attend school.

On 6-8 October in Vladikavkaz, WHO held a consultative meeting on
regional strategies for TB control in the North Caucasus, attended by
decision-makers in TB control from each of the North Caucasus republics,
experts from the Federal Ministry of Health, Academy of Medical
Sciences, UN Agencies and donors.

DHA ACTIVITIES
On 17 September DHA hosted an NGO meeting at the UN office in Moscow.
NGOs exchanged information on their activities. Problems related to
visas for humanitarian workers and taxation of humanitarian assistance
were discussed. It was reported that the State Duma would shortly start
work on the legal status of charitable organisations operating in the
Russian Federation. The need for publicising the concept of humanitarian
assistance was reviewed again.

It was reported that a new structure to replace the Commission on
International Humanitarian and Technical Assistance (CIHATA) and its
secretariat, the Russian Bureau for International Humanitarian and
Technical Assistance (BIHATA) would be created shortly, probably under
the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister for Labour and Social
Affairs.

Attention was given to a DHA suggestion that NGOs might form a
consortium, as had been done in the USA under the name Inter-Action and
in Switzerland in the form of the International Council of Voluntary
Organisations (ICVA). Such a consortium, after becoming a legal entity,
could attempt to negotiate an agreement with the government.

On 14 October the DHA Coordinator briefed a donor meeting in Moscow. He
reviewed the progress which had been made during the period 1995 to
mid-1997 and sought contributions to bring the inter-agency programme to
a successful conclusion at the end of 1997.

In the course of the discussion, the DHA Coordinator outlined the
arrangements which would be in place in 1998: UNHCR would continue
assistance to non-CIS refugees and asylum seekers under its general
programme, and would shortly launch its 1998 appeal for a special
programme of activities within the CIS Conference programme of action.
This special programme would include some activities currently financed
by the inter-agency appeal, particularly assistance to displaced persons
in Stavropol Territory who are not expected to return to Chechnya, and
persons displaced from the Prigorodny District of North Ossetia by the
conflict between Ingush and North Ossetians in 1992.

UNICEF and WHO would continue activities by means of their regular
programmes, and might approach donors with specific requests. DHA, as
soon as it completed its coordination work, would phase out its
presence. However, DHA would continue, from Geneva and New York, its
efforts to seek international assistance for victims of the Chernobyl
disaster as well as its ongoing collaboration with the Ministry for
Emergency Situations in respect of natural disasters. DHA might also
provide ad hoc assistance, as was done on the occasion of the Sakhalin
earthquake.

As part of the effort to move towards new arrangements for 1998, DHA
assisted in the preparations for a donor mission designed to seek
funding for UNHCR and IOM activities in 1998, as well as in the
preparations for a Round Table to be held in Geneva later this year with
the goal of setting in motion some specific measure to improve relations
between Ingush and North Ossetians.

DHA in Moscow assisted the DHA Relief Coordination Branch in Geneva in
contacts with the Ministry of Emergency Situations on the Chernobyl
Action Plan and with the Sakhalin Region authorities in respect of the
equipment for a complete children's rehabilitation centre, which is
being provided by DHA.

DHA worked with the UNHCR field security adviser on the revision of the
Security Plan for the Russian Federation, to take into account the
worsening security situation in the North Caucasus.



This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int


United Nations Office in the Russian Federation - Moscow
Mr. Viktor Andreev
Tel.: (7503) 232 22 27 - 232 30 11
Fax: (7503) 232 30 17


Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Ms. Sylvia Ferazzi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org


Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. David McLachlan-Karr
Tel.: (1 212) 963.0226
Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: mclachlan-karr@un.org


Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856
Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org



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