Ingushes and Ossetians have no conflicts, Kartsa villagers say

It is now quiet in the village of Kartsa, located in immediate proximity from Vladikavkaz and mainly inhabited by Ingushes. Residents note good-neighbourhood relations between Ingushes and Ossetians living here, while employees of law enforcement bodies present in the village inspire trust. In the meantime, rallies continue in Vladikavkaz; where one of them had nearly resulted in a pogrom in Kartsa village.

Let us remind you that on September 11 in Vladikavkaz a non-sanctioned rally was held near the building of the government of North Ossetia, where demands were announced to ensure safety of Vladikavkaz residents and to dismiss the republic's leadership, because of the terror act on September 9 in the marketplace of Vladikavkaz.

On September 13, hundreds of young men, having marched with nationalist slogans along central streets of the city, moved towards Kartsa village. At approaching the village they were stopped by militia; and heads of the MIA managed to convince the young people to disperse.

According to a Kartsa woman-villager, who preferred to remain anonymous, certain tension is still felt among the local population.

The village of Kartsa (Ingushes call it Planshk), unlike most other settlements of North Ossetia, where Ingushes live, is within the city boundaries of Vladikavkaz. It suffered during the ethnic conflict in North Ossetia in October-November 1992.

"I was still a child then, when it all has happened. Our neighbours, Ossetians, knocked to us at night. Mother quickly got us ready, and we left the house through the kitchen garden. All the days of the conflict we hid in a cellar; an Ossetian family his us. Not only us: many Ingush families were saved by their Ossetian neighbours," Muslim, a resident of the village told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his version, before the conflict many Ingush guys married Ossetian girls. Muslim believes that relations with neighbours remained good.

All the interlocutors of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent - both Ossetians and Ingushes - believe that terror acts, like the one committed on September 9 in Vladikavkaz, happen, as a rule, when the situation in the region gets stabilized. "Someone is highly interested all the time to warm up enmity between our nations in the region," Muslim believes.