Dokku Umarov reported “martyred”

Dokku Umarov, Emir of the Caucasus, leader of Islamist insurgency in the region of Chechnya was reported “martyred” by Kavkaz website, sympathetic to jihadists. An obituary was posted but no details given of his death. The site stated, “Dokku Umarov gave 20 years of his life to the Jihad. Huge working-capacity, softness and consistency earned him love and respect of ordinary Mujahideen. He enjoyed enormous prestige among Mujahideen all over the world. His opinion was listened to. His word was significant for fighting Muslims.”

Umarov (also regarded as Russia’s most wanted man) claimed responsibility for the Moscow, Domodedovo airport bombing (24th January 2011) in which 36 people dead and 180 were injured and the bombings on the Moscow Metro (March 2010) where 39 deaths were reported. He was also alleged to have ordered the bombing of the Moscow to St Petersburg train (November 2009) with 29 fatalities.

Recently Russia was on high alert, a tense time for Putin, fearing attacks during the Winter Olympics at Sochi after Umarov issued a threat to use “maximum force” to disrupt the event which he claimed was “built on the bones of many, many Muslims.” Prior to the Olympics there were three attacks on Volgograd targeting transportation systems.

In 2013, Umarov warned attacks would continue targeting Russia’s ruling regime. He stated, “Caucasus Emirate is only a part of the global Jihad…Peace initiative of the Caucasus Emirate in ceasing military operations on the territory of Russia was interpreted by Moscow as weakness, rather an act of good will… Infidels and apostates had increased their persecution of peaceful Muslims and have increased the numbers of civilians they have killed.”

There were earlier unconfirmed reports of Umarov’s death on 17th January 2013 posted on twitter (one from Peter Bouckaert, Emergency Director at Human Rights Watch) with a video posted a day earlier on the 16th January alleging his demise.

If Umarov was killed prior to the Olympics it could be a reason why predicted attacks on the games failed to materialize. Concentration may have been focused on finding a new leader and official announcement of his death delayed to keep up security pressures on those hosting the Olympics.

Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, declared on his blog, “Umarov was killed in a security operation, which I wrote about earlier … Now it is confirmed by the rats themselves.”

Kavkaz provided the following background on Umarov;

“Dokku Abu Usman (Dokku Umarov) went to jihad in 1994, as soon as he learned about the invasion of Chechnya by Russian troops. He gave up his lucrative business in Russia and returned home.

Since then, Dokku Abu Usman was forced to leave Chechnya for several months only once, at the beginning of 2000 due to a severe wound. After treatment, he returned home and continued the Jihad.

After the first Russian-Chechen war of 1994-96, Ichkerian President Aslan Maskhadov appointed Dokku Umarov Secretary of the Security Council. After the martyrdom of Chechen Emir Abdul Khalim Sadullayev in 2006, he became the head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

In 2007, Dokku Abu Usman raised the banner of monotheism and proclaimed the Caucasus Emirate.

This move was met with hostility by secularists of various types but was unambiguously supported by Caucasus Mujahideen, united under the single banner of Oneness.”

Ali Abu Muhammad new Emir of Caucasus Emirate

Kavkaz also reported that a new Emir of the Caucasus Emirate had been elected by leaders of CE provinces and named him as Sharia Judge, Ali Abu Muhhammad. He appeared on Youtube in combat fatigues, gun by his side, accepting responsibility for his new role but said he felt “unworthy”.

Ali Abu Muhammad stated, “I want to inform you that our brother (Dokku Abu Usman, aka Dokku Umarov) has left this world. Our condolences to his family and the Muslim world. His soul is with the green birds in paradise.”

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.