Dagestani villagers associate conflict over pastures with demarcation of border with Chechnya

Residents of the village of Gagatli in the Botlikh District believe that the conflict on the pasture rented on the territory of Chechnya arose in connection with the demarcation processes at the border.

On July 12, a fight occurred between residents of the Botlikh District of Dagestan and residents of Chechnya. According to the residents of Dagestan, the people from the neighbouring republic expelled without any explanations the shepherds of the Botlikh District from the pastures they rented.

The villagers of Gagatli told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they were engaged in sheep breeding and beekeeping. In connection with the lack of pastures, they have to rent land in Chechnya.

On July 12, the incident on pasture occurred by fault of intermediaries in rent agreements, said Magomed, a resident of the Gagatli village. According to the man, the Chechens voiced a deadline when the shepherds were to leave the pastures. Now the shepherds have nowhere to graze several thousand heads of sheep.

Most of the villagers breed sheep, and lack of pasture land is one of the key problems for the local residents, notes Abdul, a resident of the Gagatli village.

The incident is related to the processes of demarcation of the borders between Chechnya and Dagestan, in particular, with the case in Kizlyar in Dagestan, believes Akhmed, a local resident.