ICG's experts offer guidelines for settling conflict in Northern Caucasus

The analysis of political forces, peculiarities of operation of law enforcement bodies and courts, and holding elections in Northern Caucasus have been presented today by experts from the International Crisis Group (ICG) in their report "Northern Caucasus: Complexities of Integration (III): Governance, Elections and Rule of Law". The experts also gave their recommendations, in particular, in the areas of land reform, war on corruption, promoting dialogue between Sufis and Salafis, addressed to federal and local authorities and to the Council of Europe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the presentation of the first of two reports: " Northern Caucasus: Complexities of Integration (I): Ethnicity and Conflict" and "Northern Caucasus: Complexities of Integration (II): Islamic Factor, Armed Underground and War against It" took place on November 8, 2012.

According to Varvara Pakhomenko, a researcher of the ICG, "corruption, impunity and incompetence of the law enforcement and judicial systems lead to the fact that more and more people are seeking to protect their interests by means of the alternative (Sharia) justice."

"We need to strain serious efforts to establish the rule of law, openness of the government, and political and religious pluralism in Chechnya. We also need to continue reforming the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)," she said.

As reported by Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, the head of the ICG in Russia, experts are now preparing the final fourth report, which will focus on economic and social issues of the region.