TENSIONS CONTINUE IN SOKH ENCLAVE, UZBEKISTAN
On January 5, 2013, tensions erupted in Uzbekistan’s Sokh enclave. A number of Kyrgyz nationals were taken hostages and the border was unilaterally closed by the Uzbek side. The situation in the isolated enclave and nearby Kyrgyz villages remains critical and risks evolving into a humanitarian crisis. The situation is exacerbated by an information blockade on the Uzbek side and continuing allegations from the Kyrgyz side. Meanwhile, both Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities seemingly make every effort to resolve the conflict by peaceful means.
The tensions started on January 5 with an alleged attack by residents of the Khush’yor village in Sokh against Kyrgyz border guards during the installation of new power lines for the border post. It is said that the guards had to fire into the air to disperse the crowd, however, some local sources report that they fired at the crowd, injuring four men. On the next day, some forty residents of the nearby Kyrgyz village Charbak were taken hostage by the enraged Sokh residents. The hostages were released after two days. Nevertheless, local sources report that residents of Khush’yor still expect the Kyrgyz side to extradite the border guards responsible for the gunfire and their commanders. The attacks by the Sokh residents incurred damage to the property of the local Kyrgyz population, specifically to their cars.
Local sources later reported that on January 14-15, Sokh residents paid compensation of about US$ 56,000 to twelve affected Kyrgyz citizens for vehicles burned and destroyed during the attacks. The repayment was carried out in the presence of representatives of Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities. A protocol was made as a result of the compensation procedure, and both parties stated that they had no further claims on each other. It is unknown whether the funds for compensation were provided by the residents of Sokh or the Uzbek authorities.
On January 17, the communication and mass media department under the border control of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that Uzbekistan had unilaterally closed one border crossing point with Kyrgyzstan and introduced limitations on the entry of Kyrgyz nationals at three other border crossing points. Kyrgyz nationals could leave but not enter Uzbekistan. The border crossings remain open both ways to citizens of other countries. From January 18, one of the checkpoints is closed for transport vehicles as well. No official notification about these measures was provided by the Uzbek authorities to their Kyrgyz counterparts. Sokh remains isolated and Uzbek authorities do not open the borders, thus subjecting the residents of the enclave and nearby villages to the risk of a humanitarian and food crisis.
On January 14, Kyrgyz mass media reported that Kyrgyz authorities have announced the Kyrgyz regions bordering Sokh to be in an emergency situation. According to the reports of the Initiating Group of Independent Human Rights Activists (IGIHRA) the border closure especially affected the Kyrgyz village of Charbak consisting of 153 households, which found themselves cut off from Kyrgyzstan in a mountainous “deadlock.”
In addition, the border closure left several residents of Sokh separated from their homes. About one hundred Sokh residents that were on the territory of Kyrgyzstan or in the Ferghana district of Uzbekistan when the tensions erupted cannot return. The border control service promised to open the border to the enclave for four hours on January 11. However, the opening did not take place and the affected people still find themselves on the wrong side of the border.
The conflict is aggravated by an asymmetrical flow of information. Kyrgyz mass media provide wide coverage of the conflict, accusing the residents of Sokh and requesting compensation for damages. Uzbek mass media, in turn, keep quiet about the ongoing tensions, as if nothing happened. Therefore, it is hard to make an informed assessment of the causes, scope and consequences of the conflict. As the head of the IGIHRA Surat Ikramov notes: “the problems in Sokh enclave appeared a long time ago, and the fact that the government of Uzbekistan together with its law enforcement bodies does not take serious action does not adorn them”.
Representatives of the Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities have met several times to discuss and find common ground on disputed issues. However, it is very unlikely that these negotiations will resolve all the problems that affect the enclave. Sokh residents think that the enclave has come to symbolize the broader problem of uneasy Uzbek-Kyrgyz border issues. Both sides agree, however, that the conflict was not intentionally provoked by either party.
