MOLDOVA: Transnistrian Separatist Movement

1
MOLDOVA Transnistrian Separatist Movement

• The Nistru River divides Transnistria from the
  rest of Moldova

2
MOLDOVA

• Formerly the Moldavian SSR in USSR
• Located between Romania and Ukraine
• Landlocked, though Black Sea very close by

3
MOLDOVA

• Small slightly larger than Maryland
• 33,843 square kilometers
• Most densely populated of all former SSRs
• Roughly 4½ million people
• 131 people per square kilometer
• Poorest country in Europe
• GDP per capita 1,800

4
TRANSNISTRIA
One of two separatist regions of Moldova
Greatest threat to Moldovan state
territorial integrity
5

• Transnistria
• (In Yellow)
• Border formed
• by Nistru River

The remainder of Moldova is known as Bessarabia
6
Nistru (Dniester) River (Romanian name)
(Ukrainian name)
. Separates
Transnistria from Bessarabia(Seen here at
Tighina)
7
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Images of Chisinau (formerly Kishinev)
8
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA(formerly Bessarabia)

• Ethnic Romanian majority historically tied to or
  part of Romania itself
  
• Capital at Chisinau
• Government mostly controlled by Romanian
  majority
  
• Chisinau is recognized as possessing Transnistria
  but has no effective control over the region

9
TRANSNISTRIA(Transnistrian Moldovan Republic)

• Declared independence from Moldova in 1991 short
  civil war ensued
  
• Capital at Tiraspol
• Internationally recognized as part of Moldova
• However, Tiraspol has effective control over the
  region, not Chisinau
  

10
SOVIET-ERA TRANSNISTRIA

• 1917-1940 Moldavian Autonomous Oblast
• Autonomous part of Ukrainian SSR
• Some Slavs present but Romanian majority

11
WORLD WAR II

• 1941-1942 Nazis overrun Moldova
• Romanians fight alongside Germans
• 350,000 Romanians die in fighting
• 1944 Soviets re-take region
• Begin policies of Russification
• Alienates Romanians, many deported
• Replaced with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians
• Led to increased ethnic tensions
• 1947 Present border established

12
RESULTS OF WW2 IN TRANSNISTRIA

• Becomes part of Moldavian SSR in USSR
• Stalins successors not as ruthless with ethnic
  Romanians, however Romanian ethnicity still
  suppressed by Russification
  
• Soviet 14th Army headquartered in Moldavia,
  1956
  

13
INDEPENDENCE

• 1989 Weakening of USSR leads
  to increased Moldovan
  self-determination
  
• Government declares Romanian official language,
  discusses reunification w/ Romania
  
• Minority Russians and Ukrainians uneasy
• 1990 Transnistrian Republic declared at
  Tiraspol
  
• Not recognized by Chisinau
• Fighting breaks out

14
TRANSNISTRIAN CIVIL WAR

• 1991 Moldova declares independence from USSR, so
  pro-Soviet Transnistria joins USSR
  
• March-June 1992 Fighting breaks out
• 1,500 dead, thousands of refugees
• Allegations that the Russian 14th Army aided
  rebels
  
• July 1992 Ceasefire brokered by Russia
• Results in a demilitarized security zone along
  Nistru
  

15
REASONS FOR CONFLICT

• Language, ethnic, ideological differences
• Moldovas possible reunification with Romania
• Economic disparity and values
• Presence of Russian 14th Army
• Government issues

16
REASONS FOR CONFLICTLanguage Differences

• Romanian Moldovans speak Romanian, returned to
  Roman script
  
• Most Romanian speakers are bilingual and speak
  Russian also
  
• Russian and Ukrainian ethnicities especially in
  Transnistria speak Russian and Ukrainian, use
  Cyrillic script
  
• Most are not bilingual

17
REASONS FOR CONFLICTLanguage Differences

• Moldovan government makes Romanian official
  language reinstates Latin script
  
• Russians and Ukrainians grow uneasy as government
  continues to lean toward Romania and shift away
  from Soviet Russification
  
• Seen as origin of conflict, though there are many
  other factors

18
REASONS FOR CONFLICTEthnic Differences
INCLUDES TRANSNISTRIA
SOURCE CIA Factbook
19
REASONS FOR CONFLICTEthnic Differences

• Ethnic Russians and Ukrainians threatened by
  Chisinaus leanings toward Romania
  
• Romanian Moldovans eager to reclaim culture
  suppressed by Soviet regime
  
• However, conflict not entirely on ethnic lines
• Some ethnic Romanians in Transnistria assuming
  Transnistrian identity even taking leadership
  positions in the rebel state
  
• 70-75 of Moldovan Russians and Ukrainians live
  outside Transnistria yet are able to co-exist
  with Romanians in those regions

20
REASONS FOR CONFLICTPossible Reunification

• Moldovas historic political, ethnic, and
  cultural ties lie with Romania, not Russia
  
• Russians and Ukrainians fear a possible
  re-unification between Moldova and Romania
  
• Not likely to happen at least in the
  foreseeable future but the topic has been
  discussed by Moldovan government officials
  
• Resulting state would leave Russians and
  Ukrainians as very small minorities

21
REASONS FOR CONFLICTEconomic Disparity

• Transnistria contains 14 of Moldovas total
  population
  
• However, it accounts for 35 of Moldovas
  national income
  

Tiraspol, capital of Transnistria
22
REASONS FOR CONFLICTEconomic Disparity

• Soviet industrial investment largely concentrated
  in Transnistria
  
• Transnistria slightly wealthier than rest of
  Moldova (still one of the poorest regions in all
  of Europe)
  
• Strengthened regions ties with Russia and USSR
• Encouraged flow of ethnic Russians to region
• Bessarabia largely was excluded from these
  factors
  
• Even now, Transnistria still very Soviet-based
  while the rest of Moldova has opened up somewhat
  

23
REASONS FOR CONFLICTRussian 14th Army

• 5,000 Russian troops stationed in Transnistria
• Well-armed peacekeeping force
• Provided units, training, and weapons to rebels
  during civil war
  
• Chisinau believes army is a destabilizing force
• Tiraspol sees army as protection from Chisinau
• Russias status as peace broker compromised

24
REASONS FOR CONFLICTGovernment

• MOLDOVAN GOVERNMENT
• President Vladimir Voronin is a Communist
  however government is a republic
  
• Government usually leans toward closer relations
  with Romania, though has improved relations with
  Russia under Voronin
  
• Organized crime rampant some corruption though
  to a lesser extent than in Transnistria
  

Vladimir Voronin
25
REASONS FOR CONFLICTGovernment

• TRANSNISTRIAN GOVERNMENT
• Relic of the Soviet era
• Reputation for human rights violations
• Also thought to be a hotbed for drugs, weapons
  and terrorists
  
• Communist President Igor Smirnov regarded as
  corrupt
  
• Received 103.6 of the vote in one region in the
  2001 election hmmm
  

Igor Smirnov
26
TRANSNISTRIALast outpost of Communism
IMAGES OF TIRASPOL
Lenin Street and Statue
27
Sports an escape from politicsor is it?
Sheriff soccer team, based in Tiraspol
28
Sheriff Sports Complex

• Cost 200 million double Moldovas annual
  budget
  
• Believed by many to be paid for by illicit arms
  sales through Igor Smirnovs son Vladimir

29
TRANSNISTRIA AND THE WEAPONS TRADE

• Transnistria known as a worldwide leader in legal
  and illegal arms sales
  
• Mystery of rocket-mounted dirty bombs reported
  to be missing from Tiraspol Airport
  
• None there now what happened to them?
• Did Russia take them back when USSR collapsed?
• Were they sold or stolen, and if so, who has
  them?
  
• Weapons used by rebels and insurgents in
  Chechnya, Abkhazia, and Africa linked to Tiraspol

30
FUTURE OF TRANSNISTRIA

• Possible resolutions
• Special status Transnistria granted autonomy
  within Moldova
  
• Similar to Gagauzia (Turkic) already in Moldova
• Probably most likely resolution, but not a done
  deal
  
• Transnistria wins independence
• Instability could prove difficult for all
  involved
  
• Transnistria becomes irredentist, joins Ukraine
• Highly unlikely

31
REVIEW

• Transnistria has a Slavic majority Moldova as a
  whole has a Romanian majority
  
• Some tensions resulting from conflict in WW 2
• However, conflict is not entirely an ethnic
  matter
  
• Transnistria broke away from Moldova as a result
  of several factors, including
  
• Romanian majority beginning to assert itself as
  political power in post-Soviet Moldova
  
• Fears of a Moldovan reunification with Romania
• Historic ties to Ukraine and Russia
• Rest of Moldovas historic ties are to Romania

32
REVIEW

• A complicating factor is the presence of the
  Russian Army, seen by both sides as favoring
  Transnistria
  
• Has additional effect of undermining Russias
  credibility as a peace broker
  
• Corrupt government and large-scale illicit arms
  sales further complicated the matter
  
• Most likely solution special status/autonomy for
  Transnistria, however that does not appear to be
  an immediate possibility
  

33

• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• (All accessed throughout April 2005)
• http//berclo.net/inden.html
• http//e-gov.moldova.md/moldova(en).nsf
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessarabia
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisinau
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Moldova
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Moldova
  
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Moldova
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Smirnov
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldavian_SSR
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Moldova
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiraspol
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria
• http//encarta.msn.com/map_701517096/Tiraspol.html
  
  
• http//isurvived.org/Transnistria.html
• http//kishinev.moldline.net/
• http//manila.djh.dk/borders/stories/storyReader4
  74