Chechnya’s ruler and Ingush civic leaders have reportedly hugged it out and made amends

The street protests in Magas against a controversial Chechen-Ingush border agreement have fueled recriminations between Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov and several prominent Ingush civic leaders. After a series of public statements that amounted to “why don’t you come to my territory and say that to my face!” Kadyrov, Chechen Parliament Speaker Magomed Daudov, and State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov came in a massive motorcade on October 26 to the town Karabulak, where they met protest organizer Akhmed Barakhoev at the home of former Ingush Interior Minister Akhmed Pogorov.

The mood was apparently tense outside the house, where the Chechen delegation’s cars tried to block the road as hundreds of locals swarmed the scene, but Pogorov later announced that everyone involved had apologized to one another for exchanging barbs publicly. They then prayed together, knocked back some tea, and went home.