Kyrgyzstan

Friday 14th October

Elections in Kyrgyzstan and the threat of inter-ethnic violence

Elmira Satybaldieva, 14 October 2011
Tensions in Kyrgyzstan are often reduced to a division between the north and south of the country, and it is widely feared that the upcoming presidential elections will trigger violent conflict. But are the causes of disagreement so simple, asks Elmira Satybaldieva, and is it necessarily true that violence will follow?
Thursday 13th October

Grey zones and first families: the reality of everyday violence in Central Asia

Bruno de Cordier, 13 October 2011
Central Asia has gained a reputation for sporadic outbreaks of ethnic unrest and Islamist insurgency. But the popular depiction of the stans underestimates the most significant sort of violence – the struggle of much of its population to make ends meet under regimes that pride themselves on control, self-glorification and the latent threat of chaos.
Wednesday 31st August

Presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan: end of a parliamentary experiment?

Asel Doolotkeldieva, 31 August 2011
The first round of Kyrgyzstan’s presidential elections will take place on 30 October, with the likely victor and the future of the political system far from certain. Asel Doolotkeldieva profiles the contenders, and wonders if the country can manage electoral conflict without it spilling over into political violence.
Tuesday 26th July

The Uyghurs, China and central Asia

Henryk Szadziewski, 26 July 2011
The growing bonds between central Asian states and China have a human-rights cost for Uyghurs across the region, says Henryk Szadziewski.
Sunday 12th June

Osh: one year on

Nick Megoran, 12 June 2011
Before the interethnic violence of last June, Osh was a remarkable meeting point of Uzbek and Kyrgyz cultures. That Osh is no longer, but shared history provides the best hope for a peaceful future, writes Nick Megoran

Monday 24th January

Osh report: quick conclusions, lost opportunities

Madeleine Reeves, 24 January 2011
Poorly researched, political and overly assertive, the official report into last year’s violence in Osh and Jalalabat leaves as many questions as it answers. The national discussion to follow must avoid similar pitfalls.

Thursday 13th January

UN departure from Nepal sparks fears of security vacuum

Daniel C Giacopelli, 13 January 2011
After four years, the UN peace mission in Nepal will leave the country with an uncertain political and security future. Kyrgyz national commission blames Uzbeks for last year’s deadly ethnic violence. Sudan may be removed from the US state terror sponsor list by summer, officials say. All this and more in today’s security briefing.
Tuesday 4th January

4-Star Wars: flashpoint in Kyrgyzstan

Nick Kochan, 4 January 2011
Supplying fuel to the American government to keep military planes running into Afghanistan is a lucrative business. Involving as it does politics and politicians in desperately poor Kyrgyzstan, it is also a highly controversial one. Nick Kochan writes on the fuel contracts that have come to be viewed as issues of sovereignty for the new Kyrgyz government
Thursday 18th November

Elections in Kyrgyzstan: a step towards democracy?

Asel Doolotkeldieva, 18 November 2010
Will Kyrgyzstan’s progress towards democracy, initiated after the April Revolution, be undermined by victory of the non-democratic parties at the recent parliamentary elections? Or might possibly these parties surprise everyone and accept the changes? Asel Doolotkeldieva weighs up the probable outcomes.

The road to electoral perfection in Kyrgyzstan

Alexey Semyonov, Baktybek Abdrisaev, and Kuban Taabaldiev, 18 November 2010
Kyrgyzstan’s October parliamentary elections revealed a number of teething problems in law and systems, write Alexey Semyonov, Baktybek Abdrisaev and Kuban Taabaldiev. The Kyrgyz electoral bodies would be well minded to adopt an holistic approach to solving them — from the introduction of technological solutions such as e-voting, to involving key stakeholders in the counting process.

Wednesday 3rd November

Letter bombing campaign uncovered in Greece

Luke Heighton, 3 November 2010
Multiple bombs destined for top-level targets discovered in Greece. Iran chides Russia over decision not to honour arms deal. Months after Kyrgyzstan violence, tensions and resentment still running high. All this and more in today's security briefing.
Monday 18th October

Kyrgyzstan: reform starts with education

Scott Horton and Baktybek Abdrisaev, 18 October 2010
Kyrgyzstan could be the first Central Asian parliamentary democracy. But the southern region has first to be reconciled and stabilized. The way forward is to use the well established Kyrgyz traditions of education to teach acceptance of ethnic diversity in schools and universities, explain Scott Horton and Baktybek Abdrisaev.
Tuesday 12th October

Kyrgyz elections: the birth of democracy?

Baktybek Abdrisaev, 12 October 2010
Recent parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were declared free and fair, but Russia and its Central Asian neighbours feel threatened by Kyrgyz democracy. Will the country be able to juggle its relations with them and with China and USA? Baktybek Abdrisaev wonders if President Bakiyev’s dark legacy can be overcome.
Monday 11th October

Critical AfPak border crossing reopens to Nato convoys

Daniel C Giacopelli, 11 October 2010
Pakistan reopens critical border crossing to Nato convoys. Heir-apparent and new missiles appear at North Korean military parade. Kyrgyz voters avoid violence in parliamentary election. Budget woes constrain UN war crimes tribunals. All this and more in today’s security briefing.

The background to Osh: stories of conflict and coexistence

Nick Megoran, 11 October 2010
Reporting of the ethnic clashes that took place in the Kyrgyz city of Osh this summer has tended to spotlight the victimhood of either ethnic Kyrgyz or ethnic Uzbeks. This polarisation is but a reflection of competing historical narratives of Osh’s ethnic identity, writes Dr Nick Megoran.
Friday 27th August

Wanted: Economic Equality to Mend Kyrgyzstan

Balihar Sanghera, 27 August 2010
Media reports of disturbances in Kyrgyzstan’s two main cities Bishkek and Osh focused on human rights and ethnicity. However, Balihar Sanghera suggests that the root cause lies in economic inequality.
Wednesday 25th August

Beware of meddling in Kyrgyzstan!

John Heathershaw, 25 August 2010
Despite deep fissures in Kyrgyz society in the aftermath of the upheavals, external intervention would be counterproductive, advises John Heathershaw. Instead, foreign governments should concentrate their efforts on reducing the stakes of the conflict.
Tuesday 24th August

Al-Shabab renew offensive in Mogadishu

Luke Heighton, 24 August 2010
More attacks in Mogadishu, as Al-Shabab steps up its campaign against African Union troops. Convicted Islamists escape prison as fears of militant action in Central Asia increase. Russian security forces kill top Causcaus Emirate leader. Report calls for further US-Russian nuclear disarmament. All this and more in today’s security briefing.
Wednesday 14th July

Kyrgyzstan’s referendum brings a flicker of hope

Baktybek Abdrisaev, Scott Horton, and Alexey Semyonov, 14 July 2010
The new constitution which the Kyrgyz people voted in on 27 June 2010 seeks to break the presidential pattern of government. But the recent violent upheaval has left the government weak. America and Russia both need Kyrgyzstan to thrive as a country ruled neither by despotism nor fundamentalism. They will have to collaborate closely to bring this about
Friday 2nd July

Kyrgyzstan’s flawed referendum

Sureyya Yigit, 2 July 2010
The political atmosphere that surrounded the constitutional referendum in Kyrgyzstan shows that the country’s crisis is not over, says Sureyya Yigit in Bishkek
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