North and South Caucasus - Origins of HUMAN Conflict

As I have written previously, the Caucasus region is located at a crossroad between Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Located in the Asian-European borderlands, the Caucasus has been a meeting- place for different cultural and political influences, different languages and religions. The name Caucasus refers primarily to the mountains, the Great Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus ranges, with peaks that notably include Elbrus (5642 m.) and Qazbegi (5047) m.

The Great Caucasus forms a barrier that divides the region both geographically and politically into North Caucasus and South Caucasus (also called Trans-Caucasus, viewed from the Russian horizon). Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 the South Caucasus consists of three independent states: the republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

North and South Caucasus

North Caucasus consists of seven entities also called republics: Daghestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Adygeya. However, the epithet republic means something different in the context of the North Caucasus compared to what it means in the South. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are republics of a higher political dignity. Upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union they were all recognized as independent states by the international society. This was due to their political-administrative status within the Soviet Union. While Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia enjoyed the status of union republics, the entities on the northern side of the Caucasus range were autonomous republics (in the case of Adygeya and Karachaevo-Cherkessia autonomous regions) within and subordinated to a union republic, more precisely, to Russia (The Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic). Entities subordinated to former union republics were not given international recognition. Thus, while Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia today are subjects of international law, the former autonomous republics in North Caucasus are considered subjects of internal law, or, to use their formal designation, subjects of the Russian Federation.

The largest of the North Caucasus republics is Dagestan (50.300 km2), the smallest Adygeya (7.600 km2). The biggest in terms of population (2002) is Dagestan (2.577.000) and the smallest Karachaevo-Cherkessia (439.000).

Also in the South Caucasus Soviet state-builders created autonomous entities. Georgia was endowed with three such entities: Abkhazia, Adjara (both autonomous republics) and South Ossetia (an autonomous region). Within Azerbaijan one autonomous republic, Nakhichevan, and one autonomous region, Nagorno-Karabakh, were established.

The largest of the South Caucasian autonomous entities is Abkhazia (8.600 km2) and the smallest Adjaria (3.000 km2). Post-soviet population statistics related to the autonomies entities in the South Caucasus are uncertain, but according to the last Soviet census (1989), Abkhazia was the most populous (573.000) and the smallest South Ossetia (99.000).

The ‘hierarchical’ political-administrative division established in the Soviet era is an important factor for understanding the political, social and cultural dynamics in present-day Caucasus.

Languages

More than 50 languages, including Turkic, Iranian, Slavic and indigenous Caucasian tongues, are spoken in the region. Contested borders divide similar ethnic groups and nationalities. Of the three South Caucasian states only Armenia is ethnically homogeneous. Azerbaijan and Georgia are multi-ethnic. Feelings of national “we” are weak, while sub-national identities (clan, ethnic groups, region) are strong.

Religions

The Caucasus is also a meeting place for different Islamic, Christian and pre-Christian religious traditions. Armenians and Georgians are Christian. Azeri (Azerbaijan) are muslim shiitis. North Caucasus is mainly muslim. In the eastern part of North Caucasus, (Dagestan and Chechnya) clan-based sufism is widespread. Most North Caucasian muslims are sunni. However, North Ossetians are mainly Christian (Russian Ortodox church). Like the ethnic factor, the linguistic and religious diversity also have an influence on actual dynamics in the Caucasus region, north and south.

Conflicts

The Caucasus region is the most conflict ridden part of the former Soviet Union. Of the seven armed conflicts that have occurred on the territory of the former USSR, five have taken place in the Caucasus. In most of these cases overt hostilities terminated by mid 1990 but in one of them - the Russia-Chechnya conflict, violent hostilities resumed at the end of the decade and continue to date, albeit at a low scale. In 2008 violent hostilities resumed in the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict.

All of these conflicts, except one, involve claims by ethnic groups or national minorities for self-determination in the form of independence and separation of the territories where they live from their "mother-states" – former union republics. None of the current conflicts have found a comprehensive political solution.

The conflicts have aggravated the economic situation in the Caucasus region, fanned Islamic fundamentalism, instilled escalating terrorism and resulted in several other kinds of internally as well as regionally destabilizing effects.

Finally, it is important to note, all three South Caucasian states are formally democracies with elected leaders. In reality the political system in all of the three states features various degrees of authoritarian traits. Oppression of political opposition and mass media, election frauds and other infringements on civil and human rights are comprehensive. Corruption is widespread. The economy is overall weak. Azerbaijan possesses considerable oil- and gas resources while Armenia and Georgia do not.