Today is the nineteenth anniversary of “The Day of Restoration of State Independence of the Chechen nation”.

In 1990, the Chechen National Congress (CNC) was convened, proclaimed a sovereign Chechen state and drew up guidelines for a new constitution, however Doku Zavgayev, the pro-Moscow head of Chechen-Ingush ASSR Supreme Soviet was trying to prevent it from happening. On August 19th, Dzhoxar Dudaev and the CNC Executive Committee issued a decree denouncing the organizers of the opposition as a group of government criminals and “appealed to the population of the Chechen Republic to show perseverance, determination, and courage in defending democracy and human dignity”, while at the same time calling for “a campaign of civil disobedience”. Large demonstrations were held in Grozny’s main square which supported Dudaev and the CNC. Doku Zavgaev, who returned from Moscow on August 21st, could not regain control of the situation in Chechnya. On August 22nd, armed supporters of the national revolution seized the Grozny television station and on August 24th they pulled down Lenin’s statue in the center of the city. By the end of August, a national guard was formed. On September 1st and 2nd, the third session of the CNC passed a resolution transferring power in Chechnya to its Executive Committee (Praesidium). On September 6th, the National Guard stormed a meeting of the Chechen-Ingush Supreme Soviet and persuaded Zavgaev to sign an abdication. On September 6th, 1991, the Chechen people regained their independence.

After making a free choice, while respecting the rights of others, the Chechen people suggested peace and good neighborly relations to Russia. Instead, the Russian Federation decided to use force against the newly self-determining Chechen nation. At this point, the Chechen people made a choice to take up arms and defend its liberty and homeland from the new colonial oppression of the Russians. Since then, our struggle has continued. We know that ultimately, victory and defeat is only in the hands of Allah. Our duty is not to tire in battle and to be patient, for after the difficulty, there will be great relief!

We, Waynakh Online, congratulate the anniversary of the Chechen nation’s Independence Day!

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco