Tajikistan -Kyrgyzstan border clash at ‘Vorukh’ leaves at least 54 people dead

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The old border dispute at Vorukh area between the two former Soviet Central Asian republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan flared up again on 16 September leading to the death of at least 54 persons. The bloody clash in the Vorukh area has seen frequent clashes between the two sides.

Both the sides accused each other of using tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones to attack outposts and nearby settlements.

The border clash came at the time when the leaders of both the countries, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov were attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Border Dispute :

• Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were part of the Soviet Union. Both gained Independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• The current boundary dispute between the two countries lies in the demarcation of boundaries during the Soviet era. 
• Vorukh is an enclave of Tajik territory surrounded by Kyrgyzstan. Many times there have been clashes over the issue of the access of the Tajiks living in Vorukh to Tajikistan. The Tajiks living in the Vorukh territory has to cross the Kyrgyz territory to go to Tajikistan.
• Tajikistan has proposed an exchange of territory with Kyrgyzstan so that Vorukh can have access to Tajikistan but so far Kyrgyzstan has refused to accept this offer.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Kyrgyzstan :

• Capital: Bishkek
• Currency: Kyrgyzstan Som
• President: Sadyr Japarov
• Tajikistan 
• Capital: Dushanbe
• Currency: Somoni
• President: Emomali Rakhmon