The Insurgency in the North Caucasus: Putting Religious Claims into Context

Author(s): Jean-François Ratelle
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 131
Pages: 5-8
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2013

After the Boston bombings, the media has portrayed the insurgency in the North Caucasus as being part of the global Salafi jihad fighting against the West. This statement was quickly refuted by the leader of the Caucasus Emirate (CE) and the Dagestani insurgency. This report discusses the nature of the insurgent and terrorist groups in the North Caucasus in order to understand their links with global Salafi jihad, and the rationale behind their violent actions against the Russian state. It argues that the link between the CE and international jihadists has been overblown and that the insurgency is mainly driven by recurrent structural problems reinforced by a growing resurgence of radical Islam in the North Caucasus. In terms of international security, the conflict in the region remains mainly an internal Russian problem and the emphasis should not be put on the link between the Emirate and al-Qaeda, rather it should focus on events such as the upcoming Sochi Olympics.

Download:

English (PDF)