Natives of Chechnya link riots in France to countering drug dealing

After clashes in Dijon, members of the Chechen and Maghreb communities in France have agreed on ceasefire, the "Marianne" newspaper writes. Natives of Chechnya have stated the absence of interethnic conflicts with those of the Maghreb, but pointed to the drug dealing problem unresolved by authorities.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 14, at least ten people received traumas in clashes in Dijon of members of the Chechen Diaspora with local residents of Arab origin. The city prosecutor stated that clashes had racist motives and were directed against "immigrants from the Maghreb."

On June 20, Paris will host a rally of the Chechen Diaspora, said Djambulat Suleimanov, the head of the "Bart Marchot" (Consent and Freedom) Association.

"The aim of the rally is to show that Chechens are interested in observing the law and are expecting an inquiry by French authorities, in particular, the punishment of those guilty of injuring Chechens in Nice," he said.

Mr Suleimanov associates the attack on a Chechen in Dijon with the revenge of the same community for the activeness of the Chechen Diaspora in Nice and Toulouse.

In France, all natives of Chechnya face drug dealing problems said Shamil Albakov, the head of the press service of the Assembly of Chechens in Europe.

According to Mairbek Vachagaev, a historian, Chechens basically refuse to deal with drug dealers, and this always causes sharp contradictions.