Vasiliyev Scrambles to Maintain Peace after Daghestanis Tear Down Chechen Border Signs

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 11 – Last night, residents of Daghestan’s Kizlyar district tore down Chechen border signs that they say represent an effort by Ramzan Kazyrov to unilaterally extend Chechen control over their territory. Chechen Parliament head Magomed Daudov rushed to the scene, and Daghestanii head Vladimir Vasiliyev intervened to calm things down.

            Daudov demanded that the signs be restored because he declared that Chechnya would not give up a single square meter of its territory and that the signs were where they were supposed to be (capost.media/news/society/v-dagestane-snesli-ukazatel-na-kotorom-bylo-oboznachenie-chechenskogo-rayona/).

            Even more offensively, the Chechen parliamentarian declared that all the problems along the Chechen-Daghestani border had been caused by the mistaken actions of the Kizlyar leadership, an implicit demand that they be punished for ignoring Chechnya’s claims on land in their region.

            Tensions, already at fever pitch over the border issue, rose still further over the last 24 hours, but Makhachkala quickly intervened and organized meetings of local people to try to calm the situation.  But that was apparently not enough, and Vladimir Vasiliyev, the head of Daghestan, issued a declaration that may or may not be enough either.

            “This is not a simple situation,” he said, and reflects the fact that under the conditions of what he called “our young democracy,” all too often, decisions follow now those who have consulted the people but rather those who operate according to the principle, “the louder and sharper they shout, the more attention they get.”

            Vasilyev continued by saying that he was in constant contact with Grozny and appealing for everyone to strictly observe the law.  The Chechens don’t appear to have violated the border but they need to recognize how sensitive this issue is, he said (ndelo.ru/novosti/rukovodstvo-dagestana-sdelalo-pervoe-oficialnoe-zayavlenie-po-povodu-situacii-na-granice-s-chechnej).

            And then he made a pledge which may come back to haunt him: “I declare,” he said, that “while I am working here, not one square meter of Daghestan will be handed over unilaterally to anyone.” Everything must be discussed, and no steps must be taken without the agreement of all the parties involved.