UN envoy spotted gap between "words and deeds"

"Statements of Russian officials do not always reflect the reality," said Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Internally Displaced Persons Francis Mading Deng wrapping up his visit to Russia. During his visit to Russia on September 8-12, Mr. Deng traveled to Ingushetia and Chechnya.

Speaking to the press in Moscow on September 12, Francis Mading Deng pointed to the atmosphere of nervousness, tension and insecurity among the displaced Chechens staying in refugee camps in Ingushetia. The UN envoy noted that many inhabitants of these camps feared forced return to Chechnya. Mr. Deng held that the real situation was in contrast to what Russian officials kept saying about allegedly stable situation there.

The UN representative said he also had talked to people who had returned to Chechnya.

Many of the returnees complained either they had not received any compensation pledged by the authorities or the given compensation had been too small.

According to Mr. Deng, he was assured by the Russian authorities there would be no forced returns.

Francis Mading Deng is a former Sudanese diplomat. He resigned from his country?s foreign service in 1983 in protest to the Islamic fundamentalist orientation of his government and has been living in the United States since then.