Publication

Despite the official end of Russia’s counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, armed clashes and terrorist attacks continue to plague the region. Open conflict in Russia’s North Caucasus is on the verge of becoming inevitable, warns the author or this brief. He then identifies a number of economic, ethnic and societal factors that contribute to rising tensions: the growing inequality and unemployment; competing clan interests and disputed borders between and within republics; and rampant corruption and the increasing divide between the ruling elites and the general public. He also looks at Russia strategy for managing the conflict and discusses the region's future prospects.