Chechnya (1995)
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There was no aid operation in the war zone of Chechnya, the
breakaway Russian republic, but Fred Cuny believed he could
help. Grozny, Chechnya's capital, was full of civilians who
needed to be evacuated. Russia's military was in the process of
destroying the city's infrastructure, so the people needed to
get out quickly.
Again, Cuny had a choice. One option was to travel to Grozny
and try to figure out a way to get the people out. This might
be the quickest way to aid the citizens, but it would be very
dangerous and probably require substanital military support.
Another option was once again to get mixed up in politics. But
if he chose this second option, how far would he go? How would
he try to deal with the dangerous wartime conditions? Would he
be happy just to evacuate the citizens, or would he try to end
all the suffering by somehow negotiating an end to the war?
When Cuny saw the opportunity to make such a far-reaching
difference, he jumped at the chance. But this time, his
ambitious designs would end in tragedy. He attempted to
convince both Chechnya and Russia to negotiate a cease-fire. On
March 31, 1995, he headed toward ground zero of the war with
two Russian doctors and an interpreter. He wanted to obtain a
cease-fire, and then use the cease-fire as a stepping stone for
further negotiations to end the war.
Unfortunately for the city of Grozny and the world, Cuny's
plan never came to fruition. He and his three companions were
never heard from again, and their bodies were never found. It
is believed that they were executed by Chechen intelligence,
possibly because Russia circulated propaganda accusing Cuny of
being a spy. Cuny's family, in fact, lays the blame on
Russia.
Pictures from Chechnya