SEP. 14 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Sources in Dushanbe gave Reuters new details on a deal to extend a lease on a Russian military base. The sources said Russia would lease the base for another 20 – 29 years and in return sell weapons to Tajikistan for a discounted price. The lease on the base, Russia’s biggest overseas mission, is due to expire on Jan. 1 2014.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 105, published on Sep. 21 2012)
SEP. 19 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon visited the town of Khorog in the south of the country for the first time since fighting between government forces and rebels in July killed dozens of people. He blamed rebels for triggering the fighting by killing a senior intelligence officer.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 105, published on Sep. 21 2012)
SEP. 6 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a rare outpouring of public anger, hundreds of people in Dushanbe protested against the slow official response to a fire that had burnt through a large market a day earlier. The crowd marched towards the centre of the city and only broke up after meeting Dushanbe’s mayor.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 104, published on Sep. 14 2012)
AUG. 24 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Government forces began leaving Khorog, southeast Tajikistan, one month after they moved into the town, media reported. The military started to pack up after hundreds of people protested at their presence. Soldiers had moved into Khorog in July to capture a rebel commander accused of killing a security officer.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 103, published on Aug. 31 2012)
AUG. 31 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Non-Aligned Movement has been many things in its 51-year history.
Created in the Cold War as a middle way for developing countries to avoid aligning with either the US-lead Western bloc or the Soviet-lead Eastern bloc, it has reinvented itself over the past 20 years. Now NAM, as it’s more commonly known, promotes the Developing World, is an advocate of disarmament and a critic of what it views as aggressive US foreign policy.
The 16th NAM summit (there is one every three years) also has another use for Central Asia and South Caucasus watchers. Tehran is hosting the summit and, in front of the world’s media, the Iranians have been eager to pull in as much support as possible.
According to the media 137 countries have sent delegations. Most are headed by a foreign minister but 24 presidents, three kings and eight prime ministers have apparently also turned up. And these include Turkmen President Kurbangkuly Berdymukhamedov, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Armenian President Serzh Saaksyan.
This is insightful. Iran has been making a concerted effort over the past few years to woo the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It’s clear from the seniority of the NAM delegates where Iran has forged the closest bonds.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 103, published on Aug. 31 2012)
AUG. 22 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Soldiers in the town of Khorog, south-east Tajikistan, opened fire on a crowd demonstrating against the murder of a local opposition commander, lightly injuring several people, media reported. The shooting raises tension in the region a few weeks after government soldiers and rebel forces fought a battle that killed around 50 people.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 102, published on Aug. 24 2012)
AUG. 23 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A court in Dushanbe sentenced Ravshanbek Mirzoakhmadov, a senior Tajik anti-drug smuggling official, to 18 years in jail for drug smuggling, media reported. The sentence highlights just how invasive drug smuggling has become through Tajikistan’s bureaucracy.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 102, published on Aug. 24 2012)
AUG. 13 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Tolib Ayombekov, the warlord attacked by Tajik government forces last month, has surrendered, media reported. Nearly 50 people died in the fighting in the south-east of Tajikistan. The authorities accused men linked to Mr Ayombekov of killing an intelligence officer and drug smuggling. He denies the charges.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 101, published on Aug. 17 2012)
AUG. 17 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – At the Olympic Games in London, Kazakhstan wanted to beat their previous best medals haul of three golds from both Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. They did, easily, with seven gold medals in cycling, weightlifting, long jump and boxing.
Kazakhstan was placed twelfth in the rankings, with the same gold medal haul as Australia. For the others, the Games were less successful.
Turkmenistan failed to win a medal and one of its boxing referees was sent home after
failing to stop a one-sided fight. An Uzbek gymnast faced even greater humiliation after she was disqualified for doping. Uzbekistan did win one gold medal in the men’s wrestling. There were no golds for either Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan, although a Tajik woman won a boxing bronze.
Azerbaijan had talked up their boxing hopes before the Games but the best it could manage was a bronze medal. They also had one coach sent home for cheating. In wrestling Azerbaijan won two golds along with another two silver and three bronze medals.
Georgia won its gold medal in judo . Neighbouring Armenia won three medals, but no gold.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 101, published on Aug. 17 2012)
AUG. 8 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – In the aftermath of fighting in the south of the country, media reported that Tajik authorities had blocked access to various news websites including the Russian-language version of the BBC, Russia’s RIA-Novosti and Asia Plus, a local news agency.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 100, published on Aug. 10 2012)