Thirty-five citizens killed, do we count Tajikistan. Forty-six counted for its part, in its last report, the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan. This Sunday, the two Central Asian countries took stock of the border clashes that have opposed them all week. The worst violence since April 2021 and which left at least 80 dead.
Faced with these, the worst since April 2021, the two countries urgently agreed on Friday to a ceasefire, but then accused each other of having violated it on several occasions.
Putin as referee
In telephone interviews, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called on Kyrgyz Presidents Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon to avoid new clashes in these countries where Moscow historically plays the role of referee.
“Vladimir Putin called on the parties to prevent further escalation and to take steps to resolve the situation as soon as possible, and this only through peaceful and politico-diplomatic means,” said a statement from the Kremlin.
However, the situation seemed to stabilize on Sunday. In a statement, the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan said that as of 2 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) the situation at the border “remained calm, with a tendency to stabilize”.
“On the border line, no attempts at climbing or shooting have been reported. The parties maintain their agreement for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the forces concerned, work continues in this direction, ”added this source.
A border theater of regular fighting
Saturday, the sUN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called officials from both sides by telephone “to foster a dialogue for a lasting ceasefire”, a United Nations spokesman said.
On Saturday morning, the Tajik Interior Ministry said civilians had been killed in Tajikistan during truce violations, without specifying the number since. Shooting between the two countries earlier this week had already caused the death of two Tajik border guards and injured.
The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is the scene of regular fighting. Nearly half of the 970 kilometers of common border has been contested since the breakup of the USSR, against a backdrop of tensions over access to resources.
In April 2021, an eruption of violence left more than 50 dead and raised fears of a larger-scale conflict.