More Protests in North Caucasus Likely Given Collapse in Economy and Political Authority, Expert Says

Paul Goble

           

            Staunton, March 23 – Islam Tekushev, editor of the Prague-based Caucasus Times, says that the potential for conflict in the North Caucasus remains “extremely high” and that “the decline in the authority of regional bosses” together with economic problems makes it likely that protests will spread to places where they were hitherto rare or unknown.

            Among the most likely protests, he says, will be “conflicts between regional authorities and traditional social institutions in Ingushetia, the protests of Balkar activists about land disputes in Kabardino-Balkaria, the unhappiness of Circassian activists about the violation of their rights, and anti-Ingush meeting in North Ossetia” (caucasustimes.com/ru/severnyj-kavkaz-v-2017-godu-protesty-na-fone-padenija-avtoriteta-vlasti/).

But he suggests that the most serious conflicts will be between the Balkars and their republic government, clashes arising from the activation of Circassian groups given the decline in the influence of radical Islamic groupings, and the situation in Ingushetia. Indeed, Tekushev says, Ingushetia is likely to be the most prominent hot spot in the region in the coming year.