A new video purportedly from Doku Umarov says the Chechen militant leader will not step down, apparently reversing statements made in another recent earlier decision to resign.
The man claiming to be Umarov was shown speaking in a video on www.kavkazcenter.com -- which had reported on August 1 that Umarov was stepping down for "health reasons" and would hand over leadership of the Islamist rebel movement to Aslambek Vadalov.
That announcement was accompanied by a video that appeared to show Umarov handing over the reigns of the Chechen insurgency.
In the new video, the speaker says the earlier statement attributed to Umarov was a fabrication, and that he is "in good health."
The speaker also says it is impossible for him to resign because of "the current situation" in the North Caucasus region.
compiled from Reuters and RFE/RL reports
The man claiming to be Umarov was shown speaking in a video on www.kavkazcenter.com -- which had reported on August 1 that Umarov was stepping down for "health reasons" and would hand over leadership of the Islamist rebel movement to Aslambek Vadalov.
That announcement was accompanied by a video that appeared to show Umarov handing over the reigns of the Chechen insurgency.
In the new video, the speaker says the earlier statement attributed to Umarov was a fabrication, and that he is "in good health."
The speaker also says it is impossible for him to resign because of "the current situation" in the North Caucasus region.
compiled from Reuters and RFE/RL reports