Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus
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Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (Russian: Конфедерация горских народов Кавказа) is a militarized political organization composed of militants from the North Caucasian republics of the Russian Federation. This controversial organization, later renamed into the Confederation of the Peoples of the Caucasus (CPC), was formed on the eve of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1990. The Confederation and its mercenaries are primarily known for their key role in the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict and the contribution to the secessionists’ victory in the 1992-1993 hostilities. The CPC has been accused of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing of Georgians during the conflict in Abkhazia. These allegations are currently investigated by International Criminal Court in Hague. The CPC persist to this day, but plays no role in the current political situation.
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[edit] Creation
On November 4, 1990, in Nalchik, the Assembly of North Caucasian Peoples voted to establish a "Mountain Peoples Confederacy." 16 nations of the Caucasus joined the Confederation. The Assembly elected the president (M. Shanibov) and 16 vice-presidents. The Caucasian Parliament, with the elected Chairman I. Soslanbekov, took on legislative functions.
[edit] War in Abkhazia
In 1991 the Confederation interfered into Abkhaz-Georgian relations, asking the Russian Federation to "give political evaluation to the situation".
At the end of August of 1992 the Confederation held the 11th Session of Parliament in Grozny to discuss the Abkhazian issue. A clear purpose of the establishment of this organization became obvious after this Session. The Confederation created assault detachments of volunteers with Russian financial and military support[citation needed] who were later deployed in Abkhazia during the war. The Confederacy expressed enmity and hostility to Georgia and her Government by declaring: "…to use all possible methods against Georgian invaders".[citation needed]
The Central Headquarters of the Confederation led by Iysuph Soslanbekov had been in charged to implement practical measures against the "enemies of Abkhazian people". These included all ethnic peoples of Abkhazia who did not agree with separatist agenda or have sided with the Georgians. These measures became apparent during the storming operation of Gagra where hundreds of civilians were massacred.
The president of the Confederation Musa Shanibov and the chairman of the parliament Iysuph Soslanbekov made an official statement: "As there is no other way to withdraw Georgian occupants' army from Abkhazia, we order: 1. All headquarters of the Confederation have to dispatch the mercenaries to the territory of Abkhazia to put military resistance. 2. Military formations of the Confederation have to conduct military operations against any forces to suspend their movement to Abkhazia. 3. Announce Tbilisi as a zone of disaster. 4. All Georgian nationals on the territory of Confederation are to be taken hostage. 5. All type of cargoes directed to Georgia shall be detained. 6. Report about readiness is to be sent to the headquarter by August 22, 1992".[citation needed]
On October 3, Abkhazian and Confederate formations launched a full scale attack on villages of Kamani and Shroma (near Gumista River). The Georgian side repelled the attack.
[edit] Sukhumi Massacre
On September 27, 1993 the Abkhaz side violated the UN-mediated cease-fire agreement (Georgian side has agreed to pull out all heavy artillery and tanks from Sukhumi in return for cease-fire) by storming defenceless Sukhumi. The Confederates moved in Sukhumi and started to sweep through streets of the city. As the city was engulfed by heavy fighting, civilians took refuge in abandoned houses and apartment buildings. Some of the civilians of Georgian ethnicity were massacred after the discovery by the Confederates.[citation needed] By late afternoon the remainder of Georgian troops surrendered to the Abkhaz side. Majority of Georgian POWs were executed on the same day by Abkhaz formations and Confederates.[citation needed] Few civilians and military personnel managed to survive the massacre. The massacre continued for two weeks after the fall of Sukhumi.[citation needed]
[edit] Later history
Following the Abkhazian war, the Confederation went into a period of decline due largely to the feuds among its pro- and anti-Kremlin factions. It experienced a brief revival in December 1994, when Shanibov rallied thousands across the North Caucasus to block roads to the Russian forces heading to Grozny. However, the change of power in Shanibov’s home republic, Kabardino-Balkaria, in favor of strongly pro-Moscow leader, prevented him from exerting any political influence in the region, forcing him to retire from politics in 1996. Since then, the organization has had no role in the Caucasus affairs.[1] It never disbanded, but has been completely inactive since Shanibov’s successor, Yusup Soslambekov, was assassinated in Moscow on July 27, 2000.[2]
