Neighbours and Refugees : The Pankisi Kists keep an eye on Chechnya
By Quentin JORDA
In Georgia, the Kists, a small Muslim community of officially 8708 people settled near the Russian border, are slowly recovering from the chaos that has shaken their social structure since the 1990s. The Kists, Vainakh(s) like their Chechnyan close relatives, have been mostly neglected by the Tbilisi government from the day of Georgia's independence until the last Russian-Chechnyan conflict, when they were seriously put into the international game played in the Caucasus. After a period of unrest, this peaceful community is now expressing their dedicated support for Chechnya without reservation.