Deradicalization Strategies in the North Caucasus: The Search for Sustainable Peace and Development

Abstract

Ethnoreligious radicalization remains a fundamental obstacle to the resolution of protracted conflicts in the North Caucasus and a major factor in the armed uprising. Unresolved ethnoterritorial conflicts reinforce the alienation of citizens from the state and promote the search for radical alternatives—in recent decades, jihadist extremism has been a major conflict driver in this multiethnic and multiconfessional region. Ethnoreligious radicalization is complicated by the growth of Islamophobia and alternative projects of ethnic nationalism. Transnational jihadist movements widely exploit frustration and resentment, and try to capitalize on nationalist demands. Since 2017, the North Caucasus has experienced a partial deradicalization due to the suppression of the Caucasus Emirate and the decline of the role of ISIS in the jihadist movement in the region, but economic disadvantage and ethnic tensions remain significant drivers of violent extremism. Today, the deradicalization strategy in the North Caucasus is becoming a tool for preventing extremism and proactively influencing the factors of radicalization through a set of measures to manage regional elites, provide economic support through federal transfers and development programs, and organize educational and informational activities.