Agreement on a Ceasefire, the Cessation of Military Activities, and on Measures for a Settlement of the Armed Conflict on the Territory of the Chechen Republic

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Country/entity: Russia
Chechnya
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Agreement on a Ceasefire, the Cessation of Military Activities, and on Measures for a Settlement of the Armed Conflict on the Territory of the Chechen Republic
Date: 27 May 1996
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Chechnya Conflicts (1991 - 2009)
The First Chechen War (1995 - 1997)
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations between the Federal Russian government with the over 100 ethnic groups deteriorated as demands for autonomy became a major political issue. In March 1992, a federation treaty was drafted and by 1994 the treaty was signed between 87 of the 88 federal jurisdictions and central government, with Chechnya being the exception. The conflict erupted in 1991 following the death of the head of the Communist Party in Grozny when a faction of the USSR’s dissolved military stormed Party Headquarters. Russian forces failed to re-take Grozny and in 1993 the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria announced its independence. Violence and discrimination preceded economic stagnation as non-Chechnens fled the region, and eventually an undeclared civil war broke out as the Chechen opposition attempted a counter-coup against the Chechen ruler Dzhokhar Dudayev. Following the dissolution of the Chechen Parliament in June 1993, a state of emergency was declared, and in December that year an other coup was attempted by the opposition. Issues of sovereignty spurred an assault by Russian troops in December 1994, marking the start of the first Chechen War wherein Russian troops faced four years of insurgency until a ceasefire was unilaterally declared in 1996. A peace treaty was signed in 1997 and Russian forces withdrew.

The Second Chechen War (1999 - 2004)
The inter-war period was marked by economic desolation, corruption and crime. Political polarization was rife, and religious extremism flourished. In August 1999, the Islamic International Brigade led by Shamil Basayev invaded the Russian Republic of Dagestan seeking to found an Islamic State, thereby sparking the Second Chechen War. In response, the Russian Federation began a bombing campaign against the Chechen government and eventually re-took Grozny. An insurgency began following the fall of the Chechen government and separatist attacks spurred an increasingly harsh response from the Kremlin. By 2006, the main separatist leaders had been killed, and the republic has been run by the pro-Russian government led by Ramzan Kadyrov since 2007.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Chechnya peace process
Parties: Russian Federation, signed for by V. Chernomyrdin;
The Chechen Republic, signed for by Z. Yandarbiev;
In the presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin
Third parties: Under the mediation of the OSCE Mission (not a signatory)
Description: A ceasefire agreement signed by acting Chechen President Yandarbiev and Russian Prime Minister Chernomyrdin with the two protocols below, fleshing out the other commitments.

Agreement document: RU_960527_Agreement on a Ceasefire.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
[Summary] Entire agreement is a ceasefire agreement.

Page 1, We, the Undersigned, vested with appropriate plenipotentiary powers, renouncing the use of force or the threat of force in the resolution of any and all points of contention, have agreed:
1. To assure a full cease-fire and cessation of military activities beginning on 1 June 1996 at 00 hours.
2. Within the course of two weeks from the moment of signature of the present Agreement of the Parties, to provide for the liberation of all persons being retained by force.
3. The commissions for negotiations continue their work.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 1, 2. Within the course of two weeks from the moment of signature of the present Agreement of the Parties, to provide for the liberation of all persons being retained by force.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: https://peacemaker.un.org/russia-chechenceasefire96

Agreement on a Ceasefire, the Cessation of Military Activities, and on Measures for a Settlement of the Armed Conflict on the Territory of the Chechen Republic

Moscow, 27 May 1996

We, the Undersigned, vested with appropriate plenipotentiary powers, renouncing the use of force or the threat of force in the resolution of any and all points of contention, have agreed:

1. To assure a full cease-fire and cessation of military activities beginning on 1 June 1996 at 00 hours.

2. Within the course of two weeks from the moment of signature of the present Agreement of the Parties, to provide for the liberation of all persons being retained by force.

3. The commissions for negotiations continue their work.

Established in Moscow on 27 May 1996 in two original copies.

V. Chernomyrdin

Z. Yandarbiev

Established in the presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin

Under the mediation of the OSCE Mission