Analysts discuss Kadyrov's attempts to smooth out disputes with Ingushes

Ramzan Kadyrov, who has declared that Ingushes have no claims against him, has deliberately ignored the appeals of the Ingush party, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe. In their opinion, the head of Chechnya is trying to reduce the level of the confrontation that he himself had initiated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 11, Kadyrov restarted his threats to seize some of land plots from Ingushetia, if its people continue stating that Chechen authorities had illegally seized Ingush territories. On January 12, Kadyrov addressed the Ingush people demanding to voice out all their claims against him within three days. On January 15, Ramzan Kadyrov declared that none of the Ingushes had responded to the invitation to personally put forward any claims against him within the appointed three days. On the same day, Chechen Minister for National Policy Akhmed Dudaev announced that Ramzan Kadyrov had ordered to remove from social media all hostile remarks against the Ingush people. The Chechen Minister announced a new page “beginning in the history of relations between the two fraternal nations.”

According to Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the Assembly of Caucasian nations, Kadyrov had expected the continuation of the conflict by declaring blood feud to him; therefore, he would not treat Sultygov's appeal as a response to his ultimatum. "Sultygov has put forward his claims and proposed a discussion, while Kadyrov had expected something else; therefore, he pretended to ignore the appeal," Mr Kutaev has stated.

The harsh statements of Ramzan Kadyrov and his entourage against Ingushes could have caused the blood feud declaration, says Alexei Malashenko, the chief researcher at the E. M. Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

"At least, they had thought so; and they may have expected such decisive and harsh answers from Ingushes. That is why Kadyrov thinks that since there is no invitation to the Sharia Court or a blood feud declaration, it means that the issue is closed, and the conflict is settled," Mr Malashenko told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In the opinion of Albert Darbazanov, an activist of the "Daimokhk" (Fatherland) Ingush National-Cultural Society, Kadyrov's statement means that the stage of critical statements of Ingushes and Chechens against each other is coming to an end. "The Kadyrov's demand to remove all the negative statements of his officials against Ingushes is a step forward in order to launch a dialogue and reduce tensions," Mr Darbazanov has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 18, 2022 at 02:59 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.