August 20th began as many others in the provincial capital of Ingushetia. In the early morning hours, as markets opened and people made their way to work a delivery truck moved unnoticed through town. Then, just before police officers lined up for their morning inspection, the unnoticed truck packed full of a half ton of explosives crashed into the gates of the central police station killing 21 and injuring 138. The forthrightness of the attack was surprising even in what has become an increasingly hot summer of hostilities in Russia’s southern provinces.
In neighboring Chechnya, Russia has formed a special relationship with the former rebel leader Ramzan Kadyrov who has effectively suppressed the population. In the drive to ensure stability in the region Mr. Kadyrov has collected a string of human rights violations and worn them as a badges of honor. As Moscow found a local champion for its control of Chechnya the violence has spread to the provinces surrounding Chechnya and authorities seem to be grasping at straws for solutions.
A single violent act may be labeled a terrorist attack, but a string of violence against a specific target is an insurgency. Violence and fear are an everyday reality in Russia’s southern provinces, but why are people being driven to the extremes of terrorist acts?
One of the primary reasons for the terror in the region is the absence of the rule of law. In place of laws there is just the rule of the gun – if your side has them you make the rules. When citizens feel that they have no access to justice and no chance of advancing their own lot in life, violence and extremism is often an easy alternative. Strong men are just a temporary solution that that will screw down the lid of a boiling pot, and without any way to relieve the pressure the results are explosive and carry their effects into the surrounding regions.
Good governance, and with it the improved strength and independence of the rule of law, are the only methods by which the Kremlin can hope to relieve the built up hostilities in the region. However, governance cannot be imposed and laws cannot simply be copied from another region. The Caucuses are steeped in centuries of history and have their own unique culture. If the institutions of democracy and with it the introduction of the principles of fairness, accountability, transparency and responsibility are to be developed they must be developed from within the region. If Moscow instead turns to promoting more strong men in the region there will be a lot of exploding pots in the kitchen.
Published Date: August 19, 2009