Field commanders in Chechnya have selected a new leader

Chechen field commanders publicly renounced their oath to Dokku Umarov and selected a new leader for themselves. This has become Husein Gakaev.

In a statement made by Vadalov, Gakaev and Gaziev the information about which comes from one of the web-sites supporting Chechen gunmen and referring to a video on the Net, they tried to explain the reason for withdrawal of their oath to Dokku Umarov.

They state that this withdrawal has been caused by Umarov's behavior who does not take counsel with other amirs and according to their opinion has actually dismissed Majlis-ul-Shura, the superior consultative body of Caucasian Emirate. The statement runs that all the Chechen mojaheds supposedly approve of their decision.

However, according to the information from the separatists' web-site, the leaders of gunmen of Achkhoy-Martan and Sunja districts have remained loyal to their oath to Dokku Umarov. Moreover, this web-site declares the statement about dismissal of Majlis-ul-Shura a strange one for it has been Umarov himself who created this superior body with consultative functions and even entrusted it the mission of election of the amir in case of his death.

The dissident leaders of the underground declare they can rejoin with the rest of the Caucasian gunmen after Umarov retires.