Post by depletedreasons on Dec 3, 2007 4:50:41 GMT -5
Chechnya's hopes and fears
The BBC's Richard Galpin has just returned from a trip to Chechnya - Russia's troubled republic in the North Caucasus.
In this photojournal, he gauges the mood of ordinary Chechens, many of whom are still traumatised by the two bloody wars in the 1990s.
My three-day tour was tightly controlled by the Russian and Chechen security forces.
They dictated where I went and with whom I would meet.
I could not travel anywhere independently.
What I did manage to find out from a talkative Russian official was that there are more than 30,000 Russian troops still based in Chechnya.
However, the region is supposed to have been pacified after two wars since the mid-1990s to stop it from gaining independence.
The extent to which my visit was stage-managed was at times comical.
The Mayor of Grozny, Muslim Khuchiyev, said he did not know a group of foreign journalists would be in this square.
He then held a news conference to explain how Chechnya's capital had become a booming city.
In the city centre I was shown many new apartment blocks and offices which have sprung up to replace the bombed-out buildings.
Amongst the many building projects under way is the construction of huge mosque (seen in the background).
There is a sense that normality is returning in some parts of Grozny.
Markets are open even at night-time and the streets are busy.
I also saw small groups of people huddled in outdoor cafes.
But much remains to be done.
This was the only block of war-damaged apartments I was taken to see.
Families here have been living in the ruins for seven years. Repair work is now under way.
Many Chechens also said they could not find proper jobs, adding that the unemployment rate stood at 70%.
The people I interviewed in the presence of my minders from the security forces and Russian government, told us their lives had improved.
There is relief that they are no longer being bombed or shot at and their homes are being rebuilt.
But the population know they are constantly being watched by the security forces.
When I managed to escape and speak to an independent journalist she told us how afraid people are to speak their minds. There is a state of fear here.
There is great fear of this man - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is backed by Moscow.
He brushes off allegations of human rights abuses, but his militia stands accused of systematic torture and kidnapping.
Life may be better for some, but these are still worrying times in Chechnya.
The people no longer fear open warfare, but they now face an increasingly authoritarian government.
news.bbc.co.uk
The BBC's Richard Galpin has just returned from a trip to Chechnya - Russia's troubled republic in the North Caucasus.
In this photojournal, he gauges the mood of ordinary Chechens, many of whom are still traumatised by the two bloody wars in the 1990s.
My three-day tour was tightly controlled by the Russian and Chechen security forces.
They dictated where I went and with whom I would meet.
I could not travel anywhere independently.
What I did manage to find out from a talkative Russian official was that there are more than 30,000 Russian troops still based in Chechnya.
However, the region is supposed to have been pacified after two wars since the mid-1990s to stop it from gaining independence.
The extent to which my visit was stage-managed was at times comical.
The Mayor of Grozny, Muslim Khuchiyev, said he did not know a group of foreign journalists would be in this square.
He then held a news conference to explain how Chechnya's capital had become a booming city.
In the city centre I was shown many new apartment blocks and offices which have sprung up to replace the bombed-out buildings.
Amongst the many building projects under way is the construction of huge mosque (seen in the background).
There is a sense that normality is returning in some parts of Grozny.
Markets are open even at night-time and the streets are busy.
I also saw small groups of people huddled in outdoor cafes.
But much remains to be done.
This was the only block of war-damaged apartments I was taken to see.
Families here have been living in the ruins for seven years. Repair work is now under way.
Many Chechens also said they could not find proper jobs, adding that the unemployment rate stood at 70%.
The people I interviewed in the presence of my minders from the security forces and Russian government, told us their lives had improved.
There is relief that they are no longer being bombed or shot at and their homes are being rebuilt.
But the population know they are constantly being watched by the security forces.
When I managed to escape and speak to an independent journalist she told us how afraid people are to speak their minds. There is a state of fear here.
There is great fear of this man - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is backed by Moscow.
He brushes off allegations of human rights abuses, but his militia stands accused of systematic torture and kidnapping.
Life may be better for some, but these are still worrying times in Chechnya.
The people no longer fear open warfare, but they now face an increasingly authoritarian government.
news.bbc.co.uk