Hussein Gakayev
Encyclopedia
Khuseyn Vakhaevich Gakayev , also known as Emir Mansur (not to be confused with Amir Mansur, or Arbi Yovmurzaev, the Chechen
nationalist commander killed in 2010) and Emir Hussein, is a mujahid
Emir
(commander) fighting in Chechnya. He is one of the most senior field commanders still operating in the North Caucasus
.
In July of 2011, Caucasus Emirate leader Dokka Umarov named Gakayev his naib
(deputy) in the eastern sector of Chechnya, thus resolving the nearly year-long dispute that saw a number of nationalist field commanders break away from Umarov, with Gakayev serving as Emir of Nokhchicho (Chechnya).
, North Ossetia. He participated in the First Chechen War
from 1994-96 - including the early struggle against the pro-Moscow Chechen opposition- fighting in units commanded by the legendary Shamil Basayev
. Following the Khasavyurt Accord that ended the first conflict, Gakayev served as deputy commander of the Jundullah Islamic Brigade within the structure of the Eastern Front of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
's (ChRi) armed forces, and he was also named Emir of the local Elistanzhi Jamaat
of the Vedeno sector. It was in the fall of 1999 that Gakayev launched a military campaign which continues to this day in the same capacity.
On 20 August 2003, Gakayev killed Shaiman Madagov, imam of the Vedeno district, for "cooperating with the Russian state." Gakayev was also reportedly a part of the 2004 Nazran raid
commanded by Basayev, an assault which killed over sixty people and resulted in the capture of virtually the entire weapons cache of Ingushetia
's police force. The operation is considered a milestone in Gakayev's career and helped propel him from the ranks of everyday militants into the upper tier of rebel leadership. It was at this point that Russian sources began to associate him with many similar operations in the region.
From spring 2006 until May 2007 Gakayev was commander of the Shali sector of the Eastern Mountain Front (re-named the Southeastern Front in September of 2006). He was appointed to the position by then-president of the ChRi Abdul-Halim Sadulayev at the request of Basayev, who was then Military Emir of the caucasian mujahideen
. Gakayev also simultaneously served as minister of internal affairs of ChRi from March to October 2007.
From May 2007 to June 2010, Gakayev was deputy commander of the Southeastern Front and in October 2007 he was named to the same position on the Eastern Front of the newly formed Caucasus Emirate
. Gakayev was in charge of the Shali Mountain, Shali Plains, Argun and Ataginsky sectors, and from June 2010 to September 2010 he was the wali
(head) of Nokhchicho, Wilaya (province).
The Vedeno and Shalinsky mountain and foothill areas of the republic, specifically Elistanzhi, Agishty, Eshilhatoy and Agishbatoy are the area of operations for his guerrilla unit.
: Hasan in 2001 and Rizvan in 2003, both in the area of Vedeno
. Hussein's sole surving brother, Muslim Gakayev (also known as "Amir Muslim" or "Dunga") serves as commander of the Shali
sector of the Eastern Front and in 2009 commanded a unit of suicide bombers. In the course of the second war, his sister was abducted and remains missing since 2006, along with thousands of other Chechens who "disappeared" since 1999.
under the chairmanship of Dokka Umarov. He later occupied the same post in Umarov's Interior Ministry of the Province of Nokhchicho (Chechnya) of the Caucasus Emirate
.
Until the breakup of the Chechen rebel leadserhsip under Umarov in August 2010, Gekayev held the post of Deputy Commander of the Eastern Front of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate. On July 25, 2010, he has been briefly appointed by Umarov as Wali
(governor) of the so-called Vilayat Nokhchicho [Chechen Province of the Caucasus Emirate] (in practice, the post of commander of the Chechen rebel forces). After the rift in leadership, he was the first deputy to the new Emirate leader Aslambek Vadalov
.
(Umarov later also said they criticised him for claiming responsibility for the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings
). They then removed themselves and their forces from Umarov's command. In a video, they also announced Gekayev has been elected the Emir
of Chechnya. Two months later, the mutiny leaders also jointly appealed for the support of all Chechens, including those abroad, who support their vision of a free Chechnya under Islamic Sharia
law. At the same time, however, Gakayev stressed that the Chechen fighters are not abandoning the idea of the joint North Caucasus
emirate, in the name of which they would continue to fight, and assured the "brothers", (fellow Muslims), in Dagestan
, Ingushetia
, North Ossetia
, and Kabardino-Balkaria
that they will remain ready to render them assistance.
In October 2010, the Chechen government of Ramzan Kadyrov
accused Gakayev of organising the August attack
on Kadyrov's fortified home village of Tsentoroy while supposedly acting under orders from the exiled Chechen nationalist leader Akhmed Zakayev
. A few days later, a Chechen Interior Ministry official again accused him of organising the Chechen Parliament attack
as "a way to loudly proclaim that he is the new leader, and send a message to his foreign sponsors," an opinion which was shared by some independent observers such as Yulia Latynina
. Zakayev, for his part, had formally acknowledged Gakayev as Chechnya's legitimate wartime leader, however he disclaimed any connection with the parliament attack, or any knowledge of who was behind it.
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
nationalist commander killed in 2010) and Emir Hussein, is a mujahid
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
(commander) fighting in Chechnya. He is one of the most senior field commanders still operating in the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
.
In July of 2011, Caucasus Emirate leader Dokka Umarov named Gakayev his naib
Naib
Naib is an Arabic term for a local leader in some parts of the Ottoman Empire and eastern Caucasus.Naib or NAIB may also refer to:*National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
(deputy) in the eastern sector of Chechnya, thus resolving the nearly year-long dispute that saw a number of nationalist field commanders break away from Umarov, with Gakayev serving as Emir of Nokhchicho (Chechnya).
Biography
Gakayev was born on 8 July 1970 in the village of Kalinovskaya, which is located in the Naur district of Chechnya bordering MozdokMozdok
Mozdok is a town and the administrative center of Mozdoksky District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania in southern Russia, located on the left shore of the Terek River, north of Vladikavkaz, the republic's capital. The name of the town literally means "dense forest" in the Kabardian language...
, North Ossetia. He participated in the First Chechen War
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
from 1994-96 - including the early struggle against the pro-Moscow Chechen opposition- fighting in units commanded by the legendary Shamil Basayev
Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev was a Chechen militant Islamist and a leader of the Chechen rebel movement.Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against the Russian troops for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal...
. Following the Khasavyurt Accord that ended the first conflict, Gakayev served as deputy commander of the Jundullah Islamic Brigade within the structure of the Eastern Front of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is the unrecognized secessionist government of Chechnya. The republic was proclaimed in late 1991 by Dzokhar Dudayev, and fought two devastating wars between separatists and the Russian Federation which denounced secession...
's (ChRi) armed forces, and he was also named Emir of the local Elistanzhi Jamaat
Jamaat
The term Jamaat can apply to the following:*Jamia - a gathering or congregatation; place of gathering.*Jamaat-e-Islami - a South Asian Islamic movement based in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India .*Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen - a Muslim organization in Indo-Pak.*Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind - an Islamic group in...
of the Vedeno sector. It was in the fall of 1999 that Gakayev launched a military campaign which continues to this day in the same capacity.
On 20 August 2003, Gakayev killed Shaiman Madagov, imam of the Vedeno district, for "cooperating with the Russian state." Gakayev was also reportedly a part of the 2004 Nazran raid
2004 Nazran raid
The Nazran raid was a large-scale raid carried out in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia, on the night of June 21-22, 2004, by a large number of mostly Chechen and Ingush militants led by the Chechen commander Shamil Basayev...
commanded by Basayev, an assault which killed over sixty people and resulted in the capture of virtually the entire weapons cache of Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
's police force. The operation is considered a milestone in Gakayev's career and helped propel him from the ranks of everyday militants into the upper tier of rebel leadership. It was at this point that Russian sources began to associate him with many similar operations in the region.
From spring 2006 until May 2007 Gakayev was commander of the Shali sector of the Eastern Mountain Front (re-named the Southeastern Front in September of 2006). He was appointed to the position by then-president of the ChRi Abdul-Halim Sadulayev at the request of Basayev, who was then Military Emir of the caucasian mujahideen
Caucasian Front (Chechen War)
The Caucasian Front also called Caucasus Front or the Caucasian Mujahadeen, was formally established in May 2005 as an Islamic structural unit of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's armed forces by the decree of the separatist President of Chechnya Abdul-Halim Sadulayev during the Second Chechen...
. Gakayev also simultaneously served as minister of internal affairs of ChRi from March to October 2007.
From May 2007 to June 2010, Gakayev was deputy commander of the Southeastern Front and in October 2007 he was named to the same position on the Eastern Front of the newly formed Caucasus Emirate
Caucasus Emirate
The Caucasus Emirate also known as the Caucasian Emirate is a self-proclaimed virtual state entity, partially successor to the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and was officially announced on October 31, 2007 by former President of Ichkeria Dokka Umarov, who became the first Emir...
. Gakayev was in charge of the Shali Mountain, Shali Plains, Argun and Ataginsky sectors, and from June 2010 to September 2010 he was the wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
(head) of Nokhchicho, Wilaya (province).
The Vedeno and Shalinsky mountain and foothill areas of the republic, specifically Elistanzhi, Agishty, Eshilhatoy and Agishbatoy are the area of operations for his guerrilla unit.
Family
Gakayev was one of six brothers, two of which, the older Jamalay and Said-Usman, were killed in fighting during the First Chechen War. His two other brothers died in combat in the Second Chechen WarSecond Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
: Hasan in 2001 and Rizvan in 2003, both in the area of Vedeno
Vedeno
Vedeno is a rural locality in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located some southeast of Grozny. It is the administrative center of Vedensky District. Population: 11,512 ;...
. Hussein's sole surving brother, Muslim Gakayev (also known as "Amir Muslim" or "Dunga") serves as commander of the Shali
Shali
Shali is a town and the administrative center of Shalinsky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia. Population: On January 3, 1995, during the course of the First Chechen War, Shali was repeatedly bombed with cluster bombs by Russian jet aircraft....
sector of the Eastern Front and in 2009 commanded a unit of suicide bombers. In the course of the second war, his sister was abducted and remains missing since 2006, along with thousands of other Chechens who "disappeared" since 1999.
Politics
From March 7 to October 7, 2007, he served as the Minister of Internal Affairs in the last cabinet of the Chechen Republic of IchkeriaChechen Republic of Ichkeria
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is the unrecognized secessionist government of Chechnya. The republic was proclaimed in late 1991 by Dzokhar Dudayev, and fought two devastating wars between separatists and the Russian Federation which denounced secession...
under the chairmanship of Dokka Umarov. He later occupied the same post in Umarov's Interior Ministry of the Province of Nokhchicho (Chechnya) of the Caucasus Emirate
Caucasus Emirate
The Caucasus Emirate also known as the Caucasian Emirate is a self-proclaimed virtual state entity, partially successor to the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and was officially announced on October 31, 2007 by former President of Ichkeria Dokka Umarov, who became the first Emir...
.
Until the breakup of the Chechen rebel leadserhsip under Umarov in August 2010, Gekayev held the post of Deputy Commander of the Eastern Front of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate. On July 25, 2010, he has been briefly appointed by Umarov as Wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
(governor) of the so-called Vilayat Nokhchicho [Chechen Province of the Caucasus Emirate] (in practice, the post of commander of the Chechen rebel forces). After the rift in leadership, he was the first deputy to the new Emirate leader Aslambek Vadalov
Aslambek Vadalov
Aslambek Ilimsultanovich Vadalov , also known by his nom de guerre Emir Aslambek, is a Chechen rebel leader fighting in the North Caucasus. He was appointed the supreme leader of the Caucasus Emirate on 1 August 2010, though this was later retracted....
.
Emir of Chechnya
Following Umarov's renunciation of his resignation, Gakayev, Vadalov and Tarkhan Gaziev (Tarkhan), as well as the Arab commander Muhannad, renounced their oath of loyalty to Umarov, criticising his authoritarian leadership and his unilateral decision to abandon the cause of Chechen independence in favour of a Caucasian pan-IslamismPan-Islamism
Pan-Islamism is a political movement advocating the unity of Muslims under one Islamic state — often a Caliphate. As a form of religious nationalism, Pan-Islamism differentiates itself from other pan-nationalistic ideologies, for example Pan-Arabism, by excluding culture and ethnicity as primary...
(Umarov later also said they criticised him for claiming responsibility for the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings
2010 Moscow Metro bombings
The 2010 Moscow Metro bombings were suicide bombings carried out by two womenduring the morning rush hour of March 29, 2010, at two stations of the Moscow Metro , with roughly 40 minutes interval between...
). They then removed themselves and their forces from Umarov's command. In a video, they also announced Gekayev has been elected the Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of Chechnya. Two months later, the mutiny leaders also jointly appealed for the support of all Chechens, including those abroad, who support their vision of a free Chechnya under Islamic Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law. At the same time, however, Gakayev stressed that the Chechen fighters are not abandoning the idea of the joint North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
emirate, in the name of which they would continue to fight, and assured the "brothers", (fellow Muslims), in Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
, North Ossetia
North Ossetia-Alania
The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania is a federal subject of Russia . Its population according to the 2010 Census was 712,877.-Name:...
, and Kabardino-Balkaria
Kabardino-Balkaria
The Kabardino-Balkar Republic , or Kabardino-Balkaria , is a federal subject of Russia located in the North Caucasus. Population: -Geography:The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part....
that they will remain ready to render them assistance.
In October 2010, the Chechen government of Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov is the President of Chechnya and a former Chechen rebel.Ramzan is a son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, assassinated in May 2004. In February 2007 Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as President, shortly after he had turned 30, which is the minimum age for the post...
accused Gakayev of organising the August attack
2010 Tsentoroy Attack
The 2010 Tsentoroy Attack was an insurgent operation carried out on the morning of 29 August 2010 by Chechen rebels in Tsentoroy , Chechnya, the home village and stronghold of pro-Moscow Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov...
on Kadyrov's fortified home village of Tsentoroy while supposedly acting under orders from the exiled Chechen nationalist leader Akhmed Zakayev
Akhmed Zakayev
Akhmed Khalidovich Zakayev is the former Deputy Prime Minister and the current Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , which is unrecognised by other countries...
. A few days later, a Chechen Interior Ministry official again accused him of organising the Chechen Parliament attack
2010 Chechen Parliament attack
The 2010 Chechen Parliament attack took place on the morning of 19 October 2010, when three Chechen militants attacked the parliament complex in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, a federal subject of Russia. At least six people were killed, including two police officers, one parliament...
as "a way to loudly proclaim that he is the new leader, and send a message to his foreign sponsors," an opinion which was shared by some independent observers such as Yulia Latynina
Yulia Latynina
Yulia Leonidovna Latynina is a Russian journalist, writer and radio host. She works at the radio station Echo of Moscow. She also writes for Novaya Gazeta and The Moscow Times.-Writer, journalist and radio host:...
. Zakayev, for his part, had formally acknowledged Gakayev as Chechnya's legitimate wartime leader, however he disclaimed any connection with the parliament attack, or any knowledge of who was behind it.