Dozens of people have died in fighting within a few days. The two countries have now signed a ceasefire. / Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan announce ceasefire
After six days of fierce fighting with many dead over a border dispute, the Central Asian ex-Soviet republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed on a ceasefire. The protocol was signed on Monday by the heads of the two countries’ secret services, Russian agencies reported. Troops and heavy weapons should be withdrawn from the border, it said.
The situation in the Kyrgyz border region of Batken is gradually stabilizing, said the head of the State Committee for National Security, Kamychbek Tashiyev. His counterpart from Tajikistan, Saimumin Yatimov, said: “We are convinced that real peace is now returning to our state borders.” Their meeting took place at the Guliston border crossing point.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan announce ceasefire / At least 100 dead
According to official information on the Kyrgyz side, at least 59 people have been killed and 164 injured since the fighting broke out on September 14. According to this, 136,000 people had to be brought to safety from the crisis area in Batken province. Tajikistan reported 41 dead.
The two high-mountain countries on the border with China had previously blamed each other for the escalation. Ceasefires were agreed again and again, but were broken shortly afterwards. Heavy artillery, attack helicopters and drones are said to have been deployed in the region. Both soldiers and civilians were killed.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than 30 years ago, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been at odds at numerous points over the course of their roughly 1,000-kilometer border. Old conflicts have also recently escalated in other regions of the post-Soviet space. For example, a few days ago in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan attacked its neighbor Armenia again. Observers fear that such tensions are increasing because Russia, which has a strong military presence throughout the region, is currently engaged in the war against Ukraine.
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