Europe seeks ways to aid Chechen refugees

February 6, 2000
Web posted at: 1:01 a.m. EST (0601 GMT)

In this story: Diplomatic mission aims to ease aid operations Chechen fighters still hiding in Grozny RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

MOSCOW (CNN) -- The European Union has sent a top official on a fact-finding mission to see what can be done to help hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced by the fighting in Chechnya.

Development Commissioner Poul Nielson arrived in Moscow on Saturday en route to Chechnya.

The EU is providing the bulk of aid to the refugees and Nielson said that during his trip he hopes to assess what needs to be done to further help people in the region. Up to 200,000 Chechens are thought to have left their homes during the five-month Russian campaign.

Nielson and his team of experts will fly to the Russian republic of Ingushetia -- where most of the Chechen refugees are staying. He hopes to visit Chechnya on Monday.

He also wants to build a diplomatic bridge with Moscow to ease the flow of humanitarian aid.

"During these months, it has been clear that for reasons of security, and for other reasons it has been very difficult for humanitarian organizations to perform their normal activities. And, it is in order to improve the access to discuss these with the government of Russia that I am here," Nielson said.

Many of the refugees fled the fighting weeks ago and are unable -- or too frightened -- to return while the conflict continues.

On Sunday units of Russian ground troops were combing the country southwest of Grozny, looking for pockets of rebel resistance.

In the wake of the Chechen fighters withdrawal from their capital, the focus of the campaign is expected to shift to rebel strongholds in the mountains of southern Chechnya. As many as 7,000 Chechen fighters are thought to be hiding in the mountains.

First deputy chief of the general staff Valery Manilov said up to 1,000 guerrillas were still lying low in Grozny and said Moscow could not yet claim full control of the city.

Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said the rebels had lost as many as 1,500 men trying to escape the Russian encirclement of the city over the past few days.

Russia has blamed the Chechen rebels for a series of bomb blasts last autumn in Moscow and other Russian cities which claimed nearly 300 lives. The Chechens deny any involvement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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February 4, 2000
Russians mop up but fight for Grozny not over
February 3, 2000
Russian gunners shell Grozny despite Chechen withdrawal
February 2, 2000
Rebels say they left Grozny after 3 key leaders killed
February 1, 2000
Russia appears in control of Grozny's Minutka Square
January 31, 2000
54 Chechen rebels reportedly surrender to Russians
January 29, 2000
Russia's war in Chechnya grinds on as winter slows progress
January 28, 2000
Russia gives first account of troop strength in Chechnya
January 27, 2000

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