Managing Intractable Conflicts: Lessons from Moldova and Cyprus

Nested Identities: From History Books to the Emergence of a Post-Conflict Generation in Moldova
23
ethnic purification which resulted in the internal displacement of nearly 25 thousand
inhabitants of Transnistria.
The “Transnistrian People” – 1990-2012
Since 1990,an authoritarian political regime and a censored and closed information
space were established in the eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova. In
continuation with the policies of the former USSR, Transnistria promoted a policy of
establishing a “new historical entity”, although this time based on the “Transnistrian
people”, although the USSR’s policy of Russification and the cultivation of anti-
Romanian moldovanism was continued. Only the few schools with Moldovan language
instruction use the Cyrillic alphabet and the ldren who learn at these educational
institutions are deprived of any future prospects. The Transnistria regime has put a
lot of effort into presenting the Republic of Moldova as an aggressor responsible for
numerous atrocities. Furthermore, the Russian Federation still refuses to withdraw
its troops from Transnistria, which is technically an act of occupation as the lands
officially belong to the Republic of Moldova. Moreover, the Russian Federation
provides financial support to the regime of Transnistria which has collapsed
economically (the budget deficit in 2012 amounts to nearly 70%) and it owes around
3 billion USD to the company Gazprom.
At present, it is obvious that there is neither juridical, ethnic or religious grounds for
the existence of this conflict. Nevertheless, because of multiple errors committed
by the governments in Chisinau, corruption and of the lack of political will for
the reintegration of Trasnistria, the phenomenon of Transnistrian conflict seriously
affects the prospects of consolidation of the Republic of Moldova as a state within
the borders recognized by the international community.
Conclusion
• The Tansnistria regime has been strengthened by the idea of the perpetuation
of the USSR. After collapse of the USSR, Russia took real control on
this region. Romanian-phobia, alongside with other repressive tools of the
authoritarian regime were, and still are, the main tools used in the manipulation
of the population. After the collapse of the USSR, the representatives of the
majority 6 population of the USSR, bearers of the Great-Russian chauvinism,
rejected the idea of becoming a minority in the Republic of Moldova and
integrating into the new state’s society;
6 The monolingual population – Russian-speakers, most of which self-identify as Russians.