MOSCOW - Abdul-Khalim Saidullayev, the man who replaces Chechnya's slain longtime rebel leader, is a little-known figure inside the war-torn republic, whom pro-Russia forces accuse of being a radical Islamist.
Chechen rebels on Thursday announced that Saidullayev, a native of Chechnya who is thought to be in his mid 30s, was chosen by Maskhadov two years ago to replace him as the separatists' commander-in-chief and political leader.
If true, it made for an odd choice.
Maskhadov was a respected military commander, a moderate who advocated negotiations to end Chechnya's 10-year conflict with Moscow and a legitimately elected president of the republic.
Saidullayev has almost no battle experience, has reportedly served on Chechnya's Islamic sharia court, and is so little known in Chechnya that a search for his name on a rebel website yielded but one result.
Information on him is contradictory and hard to come by.
Maskhadov's close allies and spokesmen in western Europe, who admit that they hardly know Saidullayev, praise him as a just and decent person.
"He is very balanced, very responsible person and enjoys wide authority among the resistance," Akhmed Zakayev, who served as culture minister in Maskhadov's government, told AFP by telephone from Britain where he has received political asylum.
"It's true that he is not known for his actions on the battlefield... and to tell you the truth, I don't remember him participating during the first war" in 1994-96, Zakayev said.
"But no one will try to challenge his authority, that's absolutely out of the question," he said. "There are laws, there are rulings during a war and everyone understands that stepping away from these rules will be a catastrophe for everyone."
Umar Khambiyev, a former health minister in Maskhadov's government who now lives in France, agreed.
"He is an educated Arabist and is quite capable of conducting a dialogue with politicians," he said. "If the president wanted this, then I believe that it is the right choice."
But pro-Moscow authorities in Chechnya said that Saidullayev would simply serve as a front for radical warlord Shamil Basayev who after Maskhadov's death becomes the undisputed leader of an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 active rebel fighters.
"He is an empty space," Taus Djabrailov, a top government official.
Chechnya's OMON special forces, who pride themselves on knowing the details of the separatist movement, admitted they knew very little about Saidullayev.
"He is a person who likely heads the religious side of the movement," said Buvadi Dakhiyev, an officer with with troops, in televised comments.
The pro-Moscow head mufti of Chechnya said Saidullayev would not control anything and that Basayev will now control all of the rebels' actions.
Basayev "and Doku Umarov command all of the rebel military groups and give the orders for attacks," he said.
"Their new leader Abdul-Khalim Saidullayev is a puppet in the hands of Basayev," he said.
03/10/2005 17:47 GMT