Kyrgyz-Tajik border conflict death toll nearly 100

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Kyrgyz-Tajik border conflict death toll nearly 100 | Reuters

The states of the former Soviet Union have been facing quite a bit of turmoil this year. Of course, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has taken center stage these past 7 months. But then Azerbaijan and Armenia kicked off again over the Nagorno-Karabakh region (Cease-fire holds between Armenia and Azerbaijan | Religious Forums).

And now a border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

BISHKEK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan said on Sunday nearly 100 people had died in their border conflict, as a fragile ceasefire between the Central Asian nations extended into a second day and their mutual ally Russia urged a de-escalation.

The former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute on Sept. 14-16, accusing each other of using tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones to attack outposts and nearby settlements.

Both countries border China, while Tajikistan also has a long frontier with Afghanistan.

Long stretches of the border separating the two ex-Soviet states are contested. Clashes in April 2021 left more than 50 dead and raised the prospect of broader conflict.

Central Asian border issues largely stem from the Soviet era, when Moscow tried to divide the region between groups whichwere often settled among other ethnicities.

Kyrgyzstan late on Sunday reported an additional 13 deaths from the fighting, adding to an earlier toll of 46. The ex-Soviet state also said 102 people had been injured.

Earlier, Kyrgyzstan said it evacuated about 137,000 people from the conflict area. The government declared Sept. 19 a day of mourning for the victims.

Kyrgyz media, which called the conflict an invasion, reported on Sunday some of the evacuees have already started returning to their homes.

Tajikistan on Sunday reported that 35 people were killed. It has not reported any mass evacuations.

Tajikistan's foreign ministry said Kyrgyzstan continued a media campaign against it and noted that Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov used the term "enemy" to refer to Tajikistan in his Saturday address.

The two sides agreed to a ceasefire on Sept. 16 which has largely held up despite several alleged incidents of shelling.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone to Japarov and veteran Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Sunday, the Kremlin said.

Putin urged the sides to prevent further escalation and to take measures to resolve the situation "exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means as soon as possible", offering assistance, his office said in a statement.

They've since agreed to a cease fire and Putin seems to want them to negotiate their differences peacefully.

I'm wondering if these conflicts might indicate an underlying perception that Putin may be weakening and no longer able to play the role of peacekeeper among the feuding ex-Soviet states in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Since these states are also close to China, that country may also get involved.

Hypothetically, a Russian-Chinese alliance would have to bring Central Asia into the fold rather quickly.

 

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This map shows the general region, but this map indicates locations of clashes which occurred in a conflict in 2021, not the one that occurred last week.