Chechen Leaders Press for Release of Russian Troops

Chechnya’s separatist leaders, anxious to keep the region’s delicate peace process on track, took steps Monday to force a radical field commander to release 21 Russian soldiers he was holding captive.

The Interfax news agency said Salman Raduyev, whose men seized the troops Saturday, had dropped all conditions for their release at a meeting with negotiators from the Dagestan region, which borders Chechnya.

The agency quoted an unnamed Dagestani representative as saying that Raduyev had agreed to free all the hostages today after receiving a tough warning from separatist Prime Minister Aslan Maskhadov.

In a contradictory report, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Dagestani Security Minister Magomed Talboyev as saying Raduyev agreed to release just 10 of the Russian soldiers today--and only if Moscow brought formal apologies to him.

Up to 60 of Raduyev’s men seized the troops when they tried to prevent the rebels from entering Dagestan. Raduyev thinks the Russians had no right to stop his men.

Neither agency report could be independently confirmed. Russian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Chechnya’s rebel leaders, anxious to ensure that Russian troops leave before presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for Jan. 27, have denounced hostage-takings in the past and have moved to resolve them quickly.

Three top Russian officials in the region overseeing Chechen policy sent Chechnya’s president a memorandum Sunday warning that unless the Russians were released, Moscow could halt the withdrawal of its forces.

But Russian commander Vladimir Sukhoruchenko said the incident should not be blown out of proportion.

He noted that Raduyev, a radical who led a hostage-taking raid into Dagestan in January, had no link with the Chechen separatists’ political and military leadership.

“I hope that we all have enough sober sense not to let this incident harm the peace process,” Interfax quoted Sukhoruchenko as saying.

Nevertheless the seizure of the Russian soldiers has highlighted continuing tensions in Chechnya, still devastated by 21 months of fighting between Russian troops and Islamic separatists that came to a halt with the Aug. 31 peace deal.

The accord defers for five years a final decision on Chechnya’s political status.

The rebels still insist on full independence, but Moscow hopes to persuade them with economic inducements to stay within the Russian Federation.