Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are once again shedding blood for water. Yesterday, on April 29, the military of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan accused each other of starting the shelling on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border at the site of the water distribution point "Golovoi".
"On April 29, 2021, at 13: 05, at the site of the water distribution point" Golovoi", located in the upper reaches of the Isfara River near the village of Khodjai of the Chorkuh jamoat of the city of Isfara, the military personnel of the Kyrgyz Republic opened fire on the servicemen of the Border Troops of the Republic of Tajikistan»- the press service of the Border Troops of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Tajikistan reported.
Fire in the building of the border outpost "Dostuk" of the Batken border detachment after a mortar attack
Image source: akipress.org
Representatives of Tajikistan state that the neighboring country is making attempts to illegally seize the water distribution point "Golovoi". According to the maps of 1924-1927, as well as 1989, this object belongs entirely to the Republic of Tajikistan and since 1968 has been used for irrigation and water supply in the border areas of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
According to the portal 24.kg The incident began on April 28, when the Tajik side tried to install video surveillance equipment on a pole near the water distribution point "Golovnaya" in the village of Kok-Tash, Batken district. The conflict of local residents escalated into mutual throwing of stones, and then the Tajik side used firearms. The next day, on April 29, the Tajik military used heavy weapons, including mortars, and fired at Kyrgyz border outposts. The sides are pulling their troops to the borders. The number of victims goes to dozens, there are dead.
RBC story about the events on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border
According to Izvestia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been trying to agree on the demarcation of the state border for a long time. One of the hot spots is Vorukh, an enclave of Tajikistan in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan. On 130 square kilometers, 35,000 people live here. Tajiks and Kyrgyz constantly accuse each other of settling disputed areas, the use of which is vetoed. There are also disputes over the road connecting Vorukh with Tajikistan, as well as the water intake from the local reservoir.
On the line of contact of the two states-allies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, armed conflicts have repeatedly arisen, border guards have been killed. At the end of March, the negotiators announced that Bishkek and Dushanbe had finally reached an agreement, but in early April it became clear that the parties had failed to agree on the status of the Vorukh enclave. Then representatives of Tajikistan said that the neighbors "will choke on the Tajik land." The Kyrgyz army conducted large-scale military exercises on the border territory.
The total length of the border between the two states is 976 km, of which only 504 km are delimited and demarcated. In some places, the border runs right in the middle of settlements and even through the homes of residents. For almost thirty years of independence, the countries have not been able to resolve the issues of demarcation in disputed areas and draw a single border line.
