Fatal Shooting on Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border
| Publisher | Institute for War and Peace Reporting |
| Author | Jenish Aydarov & Meerim Asanaly |
| Publication Date | 26 May 2015 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RCA Issue 760 |
| Cite as | Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Fatal Shooting on Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border, 26 May 2015, RCA Issue 760, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/556863b44.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A Kyrgyz national was shot dead by Uzbek border guards on May 12, in what was only the latest indication of the trigger-happy way the security forces often deal with small-time smugglers.
The shooting happened near the settlement of Sogment just outside Sokh, an enclave that belongs to Uzbekistan but is entirely inside Kyrgyzstan. The area has seen recurring tensions in recent years as Kyrgyz nationals cross through it to get from one part of their country to another, while the Uzbekistan nationals who live there (mostly ethnic Tajiks) seek unrestricted road access to the Uzbek "mainland". (See for instance Enclave Issues Challenge Uzbek, Kyrgyz Leaders.)
The latest incident seems to have involved someone trying to smuggle fruit and vegetable over the border, a common way of earning money in this part of Central Asia, but extremely risky since border guards are armed and tend to shoot first and ask questions later. A couple of people a year get killed this way, and the jumpy atmosphere on the border is not helped by the difficult relationship between the governments of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
