Caucasus Emirate - Structure

Structure

The Caucasus Emirate is claimed to be composed of the following wilayahs (provinces):

• Vilayat Noxçiyçö (Chechnya)
• Vilayat Ġalġayçö (Ingushetia and North Ossetia)
• Vilayat Cherkessia (Adygea and southern part of Krasnodar Krai)
• Vilayat Dagestan
• The joint Vilayat of Kabarda, Balkar (Kabardino-Balkaria) and Karachay (the greater part of Karachay–Cherkessia)
• Vilayat Nogay steppe (northern part of Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai)
• Vilayat Iriston (North Ossetia) was abolished in 2009 in a decree issued by Umarov that subsumed it into Vilayat Ġalġayçö

However, according to Umarov, the bases of the rebel fighters loyal to him "spread from Azerbaijan to Abkhazia."

In August 2008 Movladi Udugov, an ideologue and a spokesman for the Caucasus Emirate, said that "as Dokka Umarov very accurately observed, this Islamic state does not yet have any borders. It’s not correct to say that we want to build some sort of enclave on the territory of these North Caucasus republics. No, today many Muslims living in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Russians from the most widely differing regions of Russia who have accepted Islam, swear an oath of allegiance to Dokka Umarov as the legitimate leader of the Muslims. And wherever he is – in Moscow, Blagoveshchensk, Tyumen – when a Muslim swears that oath, he becomes a fighting unit. Just because these people are not visible in their cities just now and are not active, that doesn’t mean that they won’t become active in the future."

In May 2009, Umarov established a consultative body, or Majlis al Shura, for the Caucasus Emirate consisting of nine top commanders. At the time of the announcement, the positions and the individuals holding them were - Naib (Deputy) Emir (Supyan Abdullayev), Military Emir (Akhmed Yevloyev), Qadi (Anzor Astemirov), Emir of Vilayat Ghalghaycho (Akhmed Yevloyev), Emir of the Combined Vilayat of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay (Anzor Astemirov), Emir of Vilayat Dagestan (Umalat Magomedov), Emir of the Eastern Sector of Vilayat Nokhchicho (Aslambek Vadalov), Emir of the South-Western sector of Vilayat Nokhchicho (Tarkhan Gaziyev), and Emir of the Ansar (Muhannad).

The Caucasus Emirate maintains a Supreme Sharia Court, which is headed by a Qadi. This position has been held by Anzor Astemirov (killed in March 2010), Magomed Vagabov (killed August 2010), and Ali Abu Muhammad al-Dagestani.

In early 2009, Dokka Umarov announced the revival of the shahid suicide attackers unit Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs under the command of Said Buryatsky (killed March 2010) and Aslan Byutukayev.

On 1 August 2010 Kavkaz Center, the official web site of the Emirate, distributed a video where Dokka Umarov indicated that he had stepped down from his position as Emir and appointed Aslambek Vadalov to became his successor. However, on 3 August 2010, the original announcement had been replaced by one which stated, that Umarov only "proposed to appoint" Vadalov his successor. A few days later Umarov said he had no intention of stepping down and called the video announcing his resignation a fabrication. The announcements drove the emirate into a state of turmoil, with several key rebel leaders resigning their loyalty to Umarov. According to STRATFOR Umarov had prerecorded a stepping down message to be used in case of his disappearance, which was most likely leaked prematurely. In July 2011, a sharia court ruled in favour of Dokka Umarov. This combined with the death of Muhannad is believed to have paved the way for Hussein Gakayev, Aslambek Vadalov and Tarkhan Gaziyev to re-affirm their allegiance to Umarov.