DATE=2/27/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=RUSSIA - CHECHNYA (L) NUMBER=2-259612 BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Russian forces are facing stiff resistance from an estimated two thousand rebels in the Shatoi region near Chechnya's southern mountains. V-O-A Moscow correspondent Eve Conant reports the Council of Europe's Human Rights envoy, Alvaro Gil-Robles, has begun a trip to the North Caucasus to check for human rights abuses in the breakaway republic. TEXT: Human Rights envoy Alvaro Gil-Robles is scheduled to visit refugee camps in Chechnya's neighboring republic of Ingushetia, and then visit the Chechen capital, Grozny, on Monday. His visit follows a series of allegations from international human rights groups that Russian soldiers have committed war crime atrocities during their campaign to rout rebel fighters from Chechnya. Mr. Gil-Robles said he was hoping to visit the Chernokozovo detention camp. Human rights workers say Chechens who have been held in the camp have suffered torture and rape by Russian troops, but Moscow authorities have denied all allegations of atrocities. Mr. Gil-Robles is being accompanied by Vladimir Kalamanov, Russia's chief human rights envoy for Chechnya. Meanwhile, Russian troops are pounding rebel positions in Chechnya's southern mountains with air and artillery fire. The rebels' Internet website says there are high civilian casualties. Russian troops say they are encountering stiff resistance in the rebel stronghold of Shatoi. Commanders have admitted that small groups of rebels ranging from 15 to 20 men are able to break out of the federal encirclement. Russian news agencies say Shatoi may be as strongly defended as the capital Grozny had been before falling to Russian troops. Officials say federal warplanes flew more than 120 sorties over Shatoi, and the Argun and Vedeno gorges over the past 24 hours. The Itar-Tass news agency quotes Russian General Gennady Troshev as saying federal troops were regrouping to deal a final blow to the estimated eight thousand rebels in southern mountains. But General Troshev is also quoted as saying rebels would continue to stage counter-attacks against Russian troops even after their main strongholds were crushed. (Signed) NEB/EC/ALW/PLM 27-Feb-2000 07:31 AM EDT (27-Feb-2000 1231 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
