Chechen peace plan risks Kremlin anger
By Jon Boone in London and Neil Buckley in Moscow
Published: February 26 2005
02:00 | The Financial Times
A group representing mothers of Russian soldiers risked Kremlin
fury
yesterday when it signed a "road to peace" proposal with Chechen rebel
representatives.
The Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers (UCMS) and Akhmed
Zakayev,
envoy of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, agreed at a meeting
in London
that the decade-old conflict in Chechnya could not be settled
by force. They blamed the growth of
terrorism in the breakaway republic
on the "short-sighted and criminal policies" of the Russian
government.
The peace proposal, understood to centre around a gradual cessation of
violence by rebels, was seen as another attempt by Mr Maskhadov to
reach out to ordinary
Russians. The rebel leader recently called a
three-week ceasefire and urged Vladimir Putin, the Russian
president,
to start peace talks.
The Russian authorities ignored the offer,
dismissing Mr Maskhadov as a
terrorist who was not in control of all Chechen forces. But the latest
overtures could put Mr Putin under pressure from his own citizens,
anxious to end the bloody
conflict and avoid further terrorist attacks
in Russia such as last year's school siege in Beslan.
Adding to the pressure, the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg on Thursday
found Russia guilty of serious breaches of human
rights during offensives in Chechnya.
Mr Zakayev said yesterday's meeting, organised by European parliament
members, showed talking
with Chechen leaders was not dangerous. "So far
the Russian side is talking at the distance of a cannon
shot, but
hopefully the example of the Russian women will show that talking to us
is better
than firing a gun."
The meeting could fuel tensions between the UK and Russia. Russia
claims Mr Zakayev is a terrorist and has demanded his extradition from
Britain, where he has been
granted asylum.
Moscow recently issued angry protests when UK TV broadcast an interview
with Shamil Basayev, the Chechen extremist who masterminded the Beslan
attack.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/d2ed9d46-879e-11d9-ab48-00000e2511c8.html
KOMMERSANT Daily, FEBRUARY 28, 2005
Russian Article as of
Feb. 28, 2005
Soldiers’ Mothers Enter Into Amicable Agreement with
Akhmed Zakaev
Delegation of the Union of Soldiers’ Mother Committee came
back to
Moscow from Londo Sunday. In London, the soldiers’ mothers sealed a
memorandum with
Akhmed Zakaev, spokesman of Ichkeria’s leader Aslan
Maskhadov, stating that, for both parties, there
could be no victory
but peace. “Such statements make no sense, as the Arab hirelings, not
the
militants are exerting real influence in the republic,” Chechen
authorities claim. The RF Foreign
Ministry thinks “the bandits
operating in Chechnya will hardly abandon terror methods.”
London trip of four representatives of the Soldiers’ Mothers Committee
led to the memorandum titled ‘A
Route to Peace in Chechnya.’ Apart from
the soldiers’ mothers, the document was sealed by Akhmed Zakaev
and
representatives of the European Parliament. “The mere title of the
document says we have
started breaking deadlock,” Valentina Melnikova,
chairman of the Union of Soldiers’ Mothers Committee
told Kommersant.
“First off all, Chechen party is ready to get into the fight against
terrorism; secondly, the necessity for ceasefire has been announced;
and thirdly, Akhmed Zakaev
has suggested getting down to
de-militarization and economic reconstruction in Chechnya.”
However, in Russia, not everyone appears to share such optimism. “One
cannot ban soldiers’
mothers from meeting whoever they think they need
[to meet],” Vladimir Katrenko, head of the State
Duma’s Committee on
the North Caucasus Problems told Kommersant. “But I am sure these
negotiations won’t yield real results, as Akhmed Zakaev represents no
official authorities and
has no power to decide on anything.” Taus
Jabrailov, chairman of Chechnya’s State Council, is certain
the
aforesaid meeting “won’t influence the situation in Chechnya.” “Neither
Zakaev himself,
nor his joint decision with the representatives of the
committee will have any effect on Basaev,”
Jabrailov said. “It is just
another PR-campaign of Ichkeria’s leaders.” The real power is with “the
Arab hirelings” and no talks with the militants make any sense,
Jabrailov said.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also skeptical. “The attempt of
the Union of Soldiers’
Mothers Committee to take every chance to
prevent new acts of terror and hostage taking in the Caucasus
is
understandable,” the ministry said. “But it is hard to count on any
definite results of the
meeting; the bandits operating in Chechnya will
hardly abandon terror methods.”
As
to Akhmed Zakaev, he is sure such casual reaction of Russian
government towards the meeting is tied to
the similar treatment of
Chechen problem. “The responsibility for the armistice destiny wholly
rests with the Russian authorities,” Zakaev said. “The levers of
exerting influence on
authorities are with the Russian society. We have
manifested readiness for peace and it is the core
outcome of the
meeting with soldiers’ mothers.”
The soldiers’ mothers are going to
report results to the Russia’s
authorities in the near term.
http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=550672
Feb 28 2005 1:48PM
Soldiers' mothers won't discuss
Zakayev meeting with
govt
MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - The Russian Union
of Soldiers' Mothers
Committees does not plan to discuss its London meeting with Akhmed
Zakayev, an emissary of former Ichkerian leader Aslan Maskhadov, with
the Russian authorities for
the time being.
"At first, we will discuss the results of the London trip with our
regional organizations and colleagues at a St. Petersburg conference on
March 5-6," Union
Executive Secretary Valentina Melnikova told Interfax
on Monday.
The union's
delegation met with Zakayev last Thursday and Friday in
London, where they adopted a joint memorandum
on the Chechen
settlement.
Melnikova said Zakayev suggested using the 1997 treaty
between the
then-Russian administration and Maskhadov as a foundation for
settlement.
"In our minds, Chechen units have a joint command. We cannot say
whether it is
Maskhadov or some kind of a staff - we are not military
experts, but there is a joint command," she
said.
The delegation had "a normal working meeting" with Zakayev, she said.
"This
is the first time in Russian history that a public organization
not only started peace negotiations
with a warring party but also
crowned the first phase of the negotiations with an agreement. It was
not easy. We had to defend our position and take the position of the
warring party into
consideration," Melnikova said.
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=10754379