The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria or CRI was an unrecognized secessionist government established in the Russian region of Chechnya in late 1991 by Dzhokhar Dudayev.

The CRI was severely weakened by the conflict with the Russians in the years following, suffering many casualties and defections including the deaths of its successive Presidents, Aslan Maskhadov and Abdul Halim Sadulayev.

[3] Following these events, several commanders of the Chechen wing of the Caucasus Emirate - Tarkhan Gaziyev, Muhannad, Aslanbek Vadalov and Hussein Gakayev withdrew their oath of loyalty to Umarov.

[10] On 15 May 2014 a video was released online showing Aslan Byutukayev and the district commanders of the insurgency giving an oath of allegiance to the new head of the Caucasus Emirate, Aliaskhab Kebekov.

[10] Despite this, from late 2014 many Chechen mid-level commanders retracted their oath to Kebekov and pledged loyalty to Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.