nr.6 / vol. 4 – Ingushetia’s insurgency, where to?
by Radu Arghir
Ingushetia has long been one of the focal points of the North Caucasus insurgency. The relatively small province was very active in terms of terrorist activity, and, even if it was smaller that its neighbors and had a higher population density (therefore making it an unlikely hiding place), it served as hiding place for many leaders of the North Caucasus insurgency. The fact that the insurgency as a whole has a religious component is well known; however this does not mean that this component has any popular support in Ingushetia. In fact there were other (secular) reasons that drove the insurgency so far, but this may change. In recent years the strength of the insurgency has waned but it still remains active and it may resurge, this time with a stronger religious component. I will explain how, but first let us focus on the insurgency itself.