“Peace-building is an opportunity to leave peacefully together with our neighbours. If our neighbours are peaceful, we are peaceful.” Thus spoke Bubusaliha - a resident of Kok Tash village in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken province that borders Tajikistan. “Living right at the border, conflicts and fights are unfortunately very common. They have seasonal character, and happen more often in springtime when there is shortage of water,” she adds. Bubusaliha is one of her community’s most respected women, yet she - like many other women - does not directly participate in decision-making and conflict resolution.
Cross-border conflicts in Fergana Valley, which is shared between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, have been a fixture since the collapse of the Soviet Union. More than 12 border incidents and conflicts occurred in 2019 alone between residents of the border communities in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with four incidents resulting in casualties.
“Recently conflicts have continued throughout the year for various reasons. For example, there was a backlash over a road being constructed on disputed territory,” Bubusaliha reveals.
