On Measures to Ensure Further Peaceful Settlement in the Chechen Republic

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Country/entity: Russia
Chechnya
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: On Measures to Ensure Further Peaceful Settlement in the Chechen Republic
Date: 23 Nov 1996
Agreement status: Unilateral document
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Chechnya Conflicts (1991 - 2009)
The First Chechen War (1995 - 1997)
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations between the Federal Russian government with the over 100 ethnic groups deteriorated as demands for autonomy became a major political issue. In March 1992, a federation treaty was drafted and by 1994 the treaty was signed between 87 of the 88 federal jurisdictions and central government, with Chechnya being the exception. The conflict erupted in 1991 following the death of the head of the Communist Party in Grozny when a faction of the USSR’s dissolved military stormed Party Headquarters. Russian forces failed to re-take Grozny and in 1993 the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria announced its independence. Violence and discrimination preceded economic stagnation as non-Chechnens fled the region, and eventually an undeclared civil war broke out as the Chechen opposition attempted a counter-coup against the Chechen ruler Dzhokhar Dudayev. Following the dissolution of the Chechen Parliament in June 1993, a state of emergency was declared, and in December that year an other coup was attempted by the opposition. Issues of sovereignty spurred an assault by Russian troops in December 1994, marking the start of the first Chechen War wherein Russian troops faced four years of insurgency until a ceasefire was unilaterally declared in 1996. A peace treaty was signed in 1997 and Russian forces withdrew.

The Second Chechen War (1999 - 2004)
The inter-war period was marked by economic desolation, corruption and crime. Political polarization was rife, and religious extremism flourished. In August 1999, the Islamic International Brigade led by Shamil Basayev invaded the Russian Republic of Dagestan seeking to found an Islamic State, thereby sparking the Second Chechen War. In response, the Russian Federation began a bombing campaign against the Chechen government and eventually re-took Grozny. An insurgency began following the fall of the Chechen government and separatist attacks spurred an increasingly harsh response from the Kremlin. By 2006, the main separatist leaders had been killed, and the republic has been run by the pro-Russian government led by Ramzan Kadyrov since 2007.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Chechnya peace process
Parties: President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin
Third parties: -
Description: Short presidential decree authorizing the maneuver of the 101st Brigade out of the Chechen Republi, nullifying an earlier Presidential decree of July 3, 1996.

Agreement document: RU_CRI_961123_On measures to ensure further peaceful settlement in CRI.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 1, 2. To instruct the Government of the Russian Federation:
... -- to determine the status and terms of using the Severny airport (Groznyy).
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: Justice sector reform→Criminal justice and emergency law→Reform to specific laws
Page 1, 5. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 663 of July 3, 1996 'On the Deployment of Military Management Bodies, Forces, Military Units, Institutions and Organisations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the Territory of the Chechen Republic' (Code of Laws of the Russian Federation, 1995, No.28, Article 2640) shall become null and void.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, 4. To instruct the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to take, with the consent of bodies of power in the Chechen Republic, measures to ensure the security of the population and vital facilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: Page 1, 1. To redeploy the 101st detached brigade of Interior Ministry troops of the Russian Federation and the 205th detached brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation beyond the administrative border of the Chechen Republic.

Page 1, 2. To instruct the Government of the Russian Federation:
-- to ensure the planned redeployment of the 101st detached brigade of Interior Ministry troops and 205th detached brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;

Page 1, 2. To instruct the Government of the Russian Federation:
... -- to take the necessary measures to prepare places for the deployment of the above brigades and ensure social welfare and everyday services for their personnel and the dependents of officers and warrant-officers.

Page 1, 3. To instruct the minister of defence of the Russian Federation and the minister of internal affairs of the Russian Federation to submit, for approval, a plan of deployment of the brigades specified in clause of this Decree in the North Caucasian region.

Page 1, 5. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 663 of July 3, 1996 'On the Deployment of Military Management Bodies, Forces, Military Units, Institutions and Organisations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the Territory of the Chechen Republic' (Code of Laws of the Russian Federation, 1995, No.28, Article 2640) shall become null and void.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: Page 1, For the purpose of implementing the programme of action to reach accord and reconciliation in society, ensuring a further peaceful settlement in the Chechen Republic and creating conditions for all citizens, who have the right to participate in the formation of bodies of state power in the Chechen Republic, to exercise their right to vote, I hereby decree:

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Archived hard copy with C. Bell

Text of Yeltsin Decree on Chechnya Troop Withdrawal:

"On Measures to Ensure Further Peaceful Settlement in the Chechen Republic"

ITAR·TASS, November 25, 1996

FBIS-SOV-96-229

Daily Report 25 Nov 1996

[FBIS Transcribed Text] MOSCOW, November 25 (Itar-Tass)

For the purpose of implementing the programme of action to reach accord and reconciliation in society, ensuring a further peaceful settlement in the Chechen Republic and creating conditions for all citizens, who have the right to participate in the formation of bodies of state power in the Chechen Republic, to exercise their right to vote, I hereby decree:

1. To redeploy the 101st detached brigade of Interior Ministry troops of the Russian Federation and the 205th detached brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation beyond the administrative border of the Chechen Republic.

2. To instruct the Government of the Russian Federation:

-- to ensure the planned redeployment of the 101st detached brigade of Interior Ministry troops and 205th detached brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;

-- to take the necessary measures to prepare places for the deployment of the above brigades and ensure social welfare and everyday services for their personnel and the dependents of officers and warrant-officers.

-- to determine the status and terms of using the Severny airport (Groznyy).

3. To instruct the minister of defence of the Russian Federation and the minister of internal affairs of the Russian Federation to submit, for approval, a plan of deployment of the brigades speci1ied in clause of this Decree in the North Caucasian region.

4. To instruct the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to take, with the consent of bodies of power in the Chechen Republic, measures to ensure the security of t}Je population and vital facilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic.

5. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No.

663 of July 3, 1996 'On the Deployment of Military Management Bodies, Forces, Military Units, Institutions and Organisations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the Territory of the Chechen Republic' (Code of Laws of the Russian Federation, 1995, No.28, Article 2640) shall become null and void.

6. This Decree enters into force on the date of signature.

President of the Russian Federation

Boris Yeltsin

Moscow, the Kremlin

November 23, 1996

No.1590.