In early January, protests erupted in western Kazakhstan over increased gas prices, quickly spreading to other parts of the country. The demonstrations increasingly took on a political thrust and were directed in particular against former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had become a symbol of stagnation. Although Nazarbayev had stepped down in 2019, he retained the chairmanship of the... Continue Reading
The Taliban's second takeover since 1996 is taking place in a regional context that poses challenges for the regime but also opens up new opportunities. Twenty-five years ago, the Taliban took over a country largely destroyed by civil war; today, they find a reasonably functioning state. At that time, the Taliban regime was recognized internationally by only three states: Saudi Arabia, the... Continue Reading
At the end of April, a conflict over water escalated into the most serious border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan since their independence from the Soviet Union. By May, 36 deaths had been reported on the Kyrgyz and 19 on the Tajik side, with more than 270 injured and dozens of homes destroyed. This was not the first outbreak of armed violence in the contested territories of the... Continue Reading
It appears paradoxical that the new coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease was not found in Central Asia until mid-March. The region’s highly mobile societies border directly on China, with which intense bilateral relationships exist. At the end of January, Kazakhstan closed some of its border crossings to China, including the major trade hub of Khorgos on the east-west axis of... Continue Reading
