Ramzan Kadyrov seems to have the persona of the archetypal villain. His tough guy demeanor and language, flashy entourage, and pet lion club all seem to fit an image that most of Chechnya has of him: a megalomaniac obsessed with power and authority. For a man not yet 30, his rise to the current position of prime minister of Chechnya has been spectacular. To many in these parts, this is just the legal justification of his position; he has, in fact, been the true power in Chechnya for some time. Kadyrov benefits from his family lineage and the backing of Moscow. His father, Akhmad Kadyrov, a former president of Chechnya, was assassinated in 2004 . Kadyrov (senior) was once a separatist who changed sides and started to work with Moscow?the reward being political power in Chechnya. The elder Kadyrov allowed his son to consolidate his own power base by leading the Kadyrovtsy , Presidential Security Service. Under Ramzan?s leadership, this group has been accused of abductions, killings, torture, and generally putting fear into the local population.
Kadyrovtsy claims that this group stood for law and order and to combat the insurgency in Chechnya. He also has coveted and received favor from Moscow. While it is likely that the Kadyrov family power would not exist without support from Moscow, it is also difficult to claim that they are only puppet regime. The relationship is symbiotic. Moscow awarded Ramzan Kadyrov with the Hero of Russia citation in 2004 and has praised his ascension as part of the normalization of Chechnya. Few believe that Kadyrov will bring peace to Chechnya, but he is a useful policy tool for Moscow to have in place. A pro-Moscow government makes it easier for Moscow to claim that even the local Chechen government is against the insurgents and terrorists and gives the impression that there is unity in the Russian war on terrorism.
The reality is that the war on terrorism in Chechnya is a dirty war. While the Chechen population is weary of the violence and destruction, there are many differing factions involved. Much of the violence is murky; some is more criminal than insurgent. Some groups conduct bona fide acts of terrorism that the Kadyrovtsy and Russian security forces have not been able to stem. The Kadyrovtsy have been accused of illegal activities, and the Russian government has also been accused of heavy-handed tactics and atrocities in the region. Having Ramzan Kadyrov in place with an armed following to do Russia’s dirty work in Chechnya takes some of the pressure off Moscow. They may believe this may counterbalance the activities of groups like the Chechen Rebels , but this strategy may backfire in the long-run. It is certainly possible that as Kadyrovtsy gains more power, he may listen less to Moscow or anyone else for that matter, and turn Chechnya into a bigger problem than it already is.
