3 research outputs found
Panorama geopolítico del mundo actual: Geopolítica del Cáucaso del Norte en clave rusa
Assessment of the Russian strategy to contrast terrorism and jihadist propaganda in the North Caucasus
Terrorism, violent attacks and political Islam have affected the North Caucasus since the
disintegration of the Soviet Union. If in the past the Caucasus Emirate was the leading terrorist
organisation in the region since 2014 the Islamic State gained popularity and established the
Vilayat Kavkaz (Caucasus Province) as part of the Caliphate exploiting the local critical
socioeconomic condition and promoting the jihadist propaganda in the Russian language (i.e.
the magazine ‘Istok’) also thanks to the considerable presence of North Caucasian foreign
fighters among the ranks of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Although currently the international
coalition forces mainly defeated the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, this organisation still
jeopardises the North Caucasus often identified as the most volatile and impoverished area of
the Russian Federation characterised by ethnic conflicts, the rise of Salafism, stagnation, and
corruption. This study aims at stressing that the Russian government has elaborated a
strategy mostly based on special military operations and massive investments in tourism and
logistics which can exacerbate more the precarious status quo of the region favouring the
dissemination of jihadist propaganda because it does not consider the historical, sociocultural,
ethnic, and religious background. The region is not exempt to jihadist propaganda and
terrorism and, if the Russian government cannot financially and economically support the
regional leaders or will not change its approach, terrorism and political Islam could critically
influence the North Caucasus posing a dangerous menace to the stability and security of the
Russian Federation and entire Eurasia