Nalchik/Agency Caucasus – A new campaign will be launched to collect guns in public use in Kabardino-Balkaria.
The people of Kabardino-Balkaria will be encouraged financially to disarm themselves voluntarily between April 1 and May 1. Yuri Tomchak, the Interior Minister, said in his March 20 cabinet address that both guns and explosives would be collected. According to the Interior Ministry of Kabardino-Balkaria, a total of 1,040,000 rubles were paid to those who submitted their guns between November 15 and 31 December, 2006.
Over 851,000 rubles were paid between August 15 and September 15, 2007. Voluntary disarmament campaigns were launched in different sites of North Caucasus, as well. Between October 25 and December 25, 2007, guns worth of 3mn rubles were collected from Dagestani people. The Chechen government paid 37mn rubles to collect guns and explosives from the public early in February 2008. KU/ÖZ/FT
