- Title: Russia: OSCE Mission Arrives In Ingushetia To Inspect Refugee Camps
- Date: 10th November 1999
- Summary: A mission from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has arrived in Ingushetia to inspect camps, where about 200,000 refugees have fled from Russia's six-week-old offensive in the rebel region of Chechnya. The OSCE is the only body that mediated between Russia and Chechnya during the 1994-96 war. Its delegates arrived in Ingushetia, near Chechnya, on November 10 to assess the plight of the thousands of refugees who recently fled Chechnya. Russian forces rolled into Chechnya more than six weeks ago in pursuit of Chechen guerrillas that Moscow describes as terrorists. Russian troops now occupy key ridges overlooking Grozny, although their commanders have made conflicting statements on whether they intend to seize the city. They have also surrounded Chechnya's second city, Gudermes, to the east. The OSCE mission toured two refugee camps in Ingushetia, which became the focus of international attention last month when Russia closed the main road out of Chechnya for a fortnight trapping fleeing civilians. Ingushetia's regional leader, Ruslan Aushev, told reporters in Moscow that the military campaign in Chechnya was the result of pre-election machinations ahead of parliamentary and presidential polls. "Everything underway today in the North Caucasus fits well into the pattern of development of the political situation in Russia, concretely: the elections to the State Duma (Lower House of parliament) and the presidential vote," Aushev said.
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- Location: RUSSIA CIS INGUSHETIA SLEPTSOVSK
- Reuters ID: LDL0012BVI4V3
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