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adopted, the peoples belonging to the Confederation would declare general 
elections and create an independent confederative state from the Caspian to the 
Black Sea.
502
 
 
In its meeting on 22 March 1992 in Vladikavkaz, the Confederation 
Parliament issued a declaration
503
 stating that the Confederation was established to 
defend the political rights and freedoms of the North Caucasian peoples. In 
addition, it aimed to end imperial captivity and to secure the establishment of an 
independent state, therefore it was impossible, at that time, for the Confederation to 
accept this new Federal Treaty. 
Likewise, the Confederation tried to constrain the official and competent 
authorities of the existing republics of the North Caucasus by saying that the 
approval of this Treaty would contradict the freedom and the basic rights 
guaranteed to the peoples of the North Caucasus. Thus it would have no legal 
validity. 
Then the Confederation proposed its own solution and called for the legal 
disintegration of the existing Russian Federation. This disintegration would give 
equal status to all the republics which compromised the Russian Federation. Then, 
these equal republics would establish an independent Russian Federal Republic. 
 
                                                                                                                                        
501
 For the text of CMPC’s Parliament’s resolution after the meeting on 28 February 1992 see: “A 
call to the peoples of the North Caucasus,” April 1992. Kafkasya Gerçeği, (Samsun), 8: 1. 
502
 RFE/RL Research Report, 1(11), 13 March 1992. 
503
 The text of the declaration was published in the newspaper Kavkazskiy Dom and for the Turkish 
text see Kafkasya Gerçeği, (Samsun), April 1992, 8: 2; and Marje, (Ankara) June 1992, 1: 28-29. 

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Despite the Confederation’s strong opposition and the propaganda work 
against the Federation Treaty, all the republics of the North Caucasus signed the 
Treaty, with the exception of Chechnya on 31 March 1992. 
 
6- The Split: From Confederation of the Mountain Peoples of the 
Caucasus to the Confederation of Caucasian Peoples: 
By 1992, increasing demands for territorial change and structural reform in 
the North Caucasus; the growing influence of the Confederation as an independent 
and ‘anti-Russian’ organization, and the fear of the so-called ‘domino-effect’ 
caused by the Chechen declaration of independence, forced the authorities in 
Moscow to deal with the region in a more concrete and responsible manner.  
Through the newly established Ministry of Nationalities and Regional 
Policy
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, Russian authorities tried to manage the conflicts and disagreements in the 
North Caucasus. However as Hill stressed, because of the lack of a blueprint for the 
future of the Russian Federation Moscow has to improvise and adopt ad hoc 
measures to address the issue of conflict in the North Caucasus.
505
 
In addition, the emergence of different trends in Russian politics, which was 
roughly, defined by Hill as ‘statism’ and ‘federalism’ made the situation in the 
North Caucasus more fragile. 
 
The second half of 1992 was a year of transformation for the Confederation. 
Existing disagreements in the North Caucasian territory began to escalate and turn 
                                                 
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 A ministry which was created in 1992 on the basis of a pre-existing State Committee for 
Nationality Affairs (Goskomnats). 

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into the military clashes. Thus, in addition to its socio-political character, the 
Confederation quickly gained the status of a military power. 
In the sixth session of the Confederation’s parliament on 21-22 March 1992 
in Vladikavkaz, the Confederation’s authorities decided to form a Defence 
Committee and an army. According to the provision approved by the parliament, 
the Confederation’s armed forces would be equipped with motorised rifles, 
armoured and artillery sub-units. In addition, air force and air defence sub-units 
would be formed. These armed forces were created, according to the leaders of the 
Confederation, for the safeguarding of the Confederation’s state sovereignty, 
resolution of inter-ethnic problems peacefully, and protection of citizens’ rights and 
freedoms.
506
 
Nevertheless, at least in the beginning, the leaders of the Confederation did 
not intend to establish a permanent military structure. They were establishing a 
volunteer army, to be activated on the existence of a clash affecting the region and 
the Confederation directly. During the South Osetian-Georgian conflict the 
Confederation sent 3 battalions, organized totally on voluntary basis, to intervene 
in the conflict. 
The Confederation established a command structure of its own in February 
1993, during the Abkhazian war. While Shamil Basayev, the commander of the 
Chechen volunteers, was appointed commander of troops, a deputy of the Adyge 
Supreme Soviet, Amin Zekhov was appointed chief of staff.
507
 
                                                                                                                                        
505
 Hill, Russia’s Tinderbox, 30. 
506
 “Confederation of Mountain Peoples’ Parliament Meets in Vladikavkaz,” SWB SU/1338, B/6, 25 
March 1992. 
507
 “Confederation of Peoples of Caucasus forms command of its army,” SWB SU/1611, B/7, 12 
February 1993. 

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