Tajikistan
Tajikistan has been under the rule of various empires throughout history, mostly the Persian Empire. In the 19th century, the Russian Empire took control of Tajikistan. After the overthrow of the Tsar in 1917, Tajik guerillas, known as basmachi, waged a war against Bolshevik armies in a futile attempt to maintain independence. The Bolsheviks prevailed after a four year-war, in which mosques and villages were burned down and the population heavily suppressed. Soviet authorities imposed a draconian secularization campaign; practicing Muslims, Jews, and Christians were heavily persecuted, and mosques, churches, and synagogues were closed.
Moscow did not do much to develop the Tajik Soviet Republic, which lagged behind other Soviet states in living conditions, education and industry. In the 1970s Islamic underground parties began to form, and served to rally Tajiks against the Soviet Union, but significant disturbances did not occur until 1990. The following year, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Tajikistan declared its independence.
The nation almost immediately fell into a civil war that involved various factions fighting one another; the sides are generalized as Islamic conservatives and secular pro-government forces, but factions were often distinguished by clan loyalties. There were allegations of factions receiving backing from Russia and Iran. The non-Muslim population, particularly Russians and Jews, fled the country during this time due to persecution, increased poverty and better economic opportunities in the West.
Emomali Rakhmonov was the first leader of the nation, and continues to rule to this day. However, he has been accused of ethnic cleansing against other ethnicities and groups during the civil war. In 1997 a ceasefire was reached between Rakhmonov and opposition parties (United Tajik Opposition).
Tajikistan is officially a republic, and holds elections for the President and Parliament. There have been many accusations from opposition parties that President Rakhmonov manipulates the election process. In addition, while he has been in power, Parliament has annulled a law stating that the president should not be older than 65. Rahmonov was born in 1952.
However, Tajikistan to this date is the only country in Central Asia to have included an active opposition in its government. In the Parliament, opposition groups have often clashed with the ruling party, but this has not led to great instability.
Russian troops were stationed in southern Tajikistan, in order to guard the border with Afghanistan, until the summer of 2005. Since the September 2001 attacks, US and French troops have also been stationed in the country.
There are three Tajik exclaves, all of them located in the Fergana Valley region where Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. The largest is Vorukh located just south of Isfara on the right bank of the Karafshin river, in Kyrgyz territory. Another exclave in Kyrgyzstan is a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of Kairagach. The last is the village of Sarvan, which includes a narrow, long strip of land alongside the road from Angren to Kokand; it is surrounded by Uzbek territory.
In October 2004 Russia formally opened a military base in Dushanbe where several thousand troops will be stationed. It also took back control over a former Soviet space monitoring center at Nurek. These developments were widely seen as a sign of Russia's wish to counter increased US influence in Central Asia.
It is now eight years since the opposing parties signed the 1997 peace agreement that brought the Tajik civil war to an end and the political situation is currently stable. However, remain vigilant in public places, and be alert to any security-related announcements by the Tajik authorities. In February 2005 parliamentary elections were held in Tajikistan, which were condemned by the OSCE as falling short of international standards in some areas. Presidential elections are due in November 2006.
Tajikistan’s weak economy and its location on the border of Afghanistan have created a number of serious security problems; these include trafficking in drugs, persons, and weapons from Afghanistan and organized crime.
In addition, supporters of extremist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the Islamic Jihad Union, and al-Qaeda remain active in Central Asia. These groups have expressed anti-U.S. sentiment and may attempt to target U.S. government or private interests – or those of U.S. allies -- in the region. During the summers of 1999 and 2000, Tajikistan experienced incursions of armed militants loyal to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In past years, IMU forces seized foreigners as hostages.
In January 2005, a car bomb exploded outside a Tajik government facility in Dushanbe, killing one person. In June 2005, another explosion occurred outside the same facility, with no fatalities. The Tajik government blames the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan for both explosions, although there has been no official claim of responsibility for either incident.
From time to time, foreign embassies may suspend or otherwise restrict the travel of mission personnel to certain parts of Tajikistan. In the case of the U.S. Embassy, personnel are required to take bodyguards and an armored vehicle when they travel in the Pamirs (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region) and in southern Tajikistan within five miles of the Tajik-Afghan border.
Visitors should particularly avoid areas along the borders with Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, the Karategin Valley, and Tavildara District.
Tajik security personnel may at times place foreign visitors under surveillance. Hotel rooms, telephones and fax machines may be monitored, and personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched. Taking photographs of anything that could be perceived as being of military or security interest may result in problems with the authorities.
