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276 
 
Aliyev and had the backing of the Confederation’s chief of staff, Amin Zekhov. 
However, the President of the Confederation, Musa Shanibov, objected the 
formation of volunteer detachments.
665
 Therefore, as a result of the heavy pressures 
from the Chechen side Shanibov resigned from his post on 18 December 1994, by 
giving the reason of deteriorating health after an incident in Abkhazia in 1993 in 
which he was wounded.
666
 Nevertheless, the basic reason behind the resignation 
was the discord on the issue of mobilization. According to Denga Khalidov, the 
deputy chairman of the Confederation Parliament, “Shanibov was, evidently, find it 
hard to take decisions that require resolve, consistency and the like, in connection 
with the events developing in Chechnya”. In addition, he pointed out that, 
“Shanibov did a lot of good at the time when the CCP was establishing itself, 
particularly during developments in Abkhazia. He has done enough, considering 
his age.”
667
 
 
Following the removal of the Shanibov, under the leadership of Ali Aliyev, 
mobilization centers set up in the North Caucasian cities. According to Khalidov, 
the first centers founded in Makhachkale and Khasavyurt (Dagestan), Nalchik 
(Kabardino-Balkaria), Maykop (Adygea), Sukhum (Abkhazia), Nazran 
(Ingushetia), Vladikavkaz (North Osetia) and Cherkassk (Karachay-Cherkessia). 
                                                                                                                                        
664
 “Russian government declares mobilization centres in Caucasus illegal,” SWB SU/2181, B/11, 17 
December 1994. 
665
 “Confederation of Caucasian Peoples divided over volunteers for Chechnya decision,” SWB 
SU/2181, B/14, 17 December 1994. 
666
 Shanibov pointed out in special talk in Ankara that, the youngsters of the Confederation who at 
the same time favoring the war with and independence from Russia asked him to resign. Because of 
the lack of support from other groups he obliged to resign from the Presidency. Also see “President 
of Caucasus confederation resigns,” SWB SU/2183, B/12, 20 December 1994. 
667
 “Senior member of Caucasus confederation confirms establishment of headquarters for 
volunteers,” SWB SU/2183, B/12, 20 December 1994. 

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277 
 
Khadzhi-Murat Ibragim-Beyli, a member of the Confederation presidium, however, 
said at a news conference in Moscow on 26 December that Confederation was not 
recruiting volunteers for the Chechen war. He stressed that “representatives of 
every republic and every people are already in Chechnya.” He noted that the 
Confederation had not set up recruiting centers to recruit and train volunteers for 
Chechnya. However, he added that the Confederation of course naturally 
coordinated volunteers’ movements in the region. Ibragim-Beyli recalled that 
representatives of 16 ethnic groups of the Caucasus adopted a resolution at a their 
congress denouncing the use of force to settle the Chechen crisis and urging “help 
to the Chechen people at the time of hardships.”
668
 
From then on the Russians were emerged as the main rivals of the 
Confederation and this made the work of Confederation problematic. In addition, 
of the internal strife within the Confederation resulted in the dismemberment of the 
Confederation. None of the North Caucasian peoples or the regional 
administrations, (except some individual initiatives) did not want to fight together 
with the Chechens against the Russian troops.
669
 
Thus, by the Chechen war of 1994, the Confederation faced with the 
disintegration process. The Russian interference ant the Chechens’ struggle for 
their own territories, resulted with the dismemberment of the North Caucasian 
peoples. While the Abkhaz and other Circassian groups began to function within 
the frame work of International Circassian Association, the Turkic peoples 
                                                 
668
 “Confederation of Peoples of the Caucasus on involvement in recruiting for Chechnya”, SWB 
SU/2190, B/12, 31 December 1994. 
669
 Moreover, the regional authorities, with a Russian backing, obstructed the activities of the 
Confederation. Such as on 7 January 1995, Confederation Parliament proposed to make its session 

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278 
 
preferred to follow their own path and established their own union. Some other 
groups, such as Osetians at last, choose establishing closer alliance with the 
Russian. Thus the Confederation took the shape of a ghost organization. 
                                                                                                                                        
in Makhachkale. The Dagestani authorities however interfered with a reason of possible upheavals 
among the peoples and the Parliament inevitably postponed its meeting. 

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279 
 
 
CONCLUSION 
The North Caucasian peoples or the Mountaineers, who were the genuine 
settlers of the North Caucasian geography, constituted a multi-lingual and multi-
ethnic society. From the earlier periods of history tribe was the main social 
structure and thus the source of the Mountaineers’ identification in the region. 
These settled agricultural and pastoral North Caucasian tribes lived, separately 
mainly in villages, called aul in mountainous regions and yurt in the lowlands that 
comprised principally of one tribe, even in the 17
th
 century. In time, because of the 
economic and legal relationships, and of security concerns, settlements or rural 
communes comprised of several tribes named jama’at in Dagestan and tuqum 
among the Vaynakhs, began to form. These rural communes, in late 18
th
 and early 
19
th
 centuries became socio-political and territorial entities united by common 
economic and defence aims, rather than a purely tribal one. In the late 18
th
 century, 
(especially in Dagestan) there were about 60 communities or principalities with a 
constantly changing social structure. Nevertheless, in these earlier periods, these 
Mountaineers, mainly were the believers of Islam, continued their daily lives under 
the nominal rule of Ottoman Empire. On their daily, however, they ruled 
themselves through council of elders, which was made up of representatives of 
each clan and tribe in the commune. Beyond the existence of temporary alliances 
between several communes, primarily against the another North Caucasian 
commune and rearly against the ‘foreign powers’, because of the lack of 
communication and outrageous geographical conditions, consolidated and 

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