DUSHANBE
, December 14, Asia-Plus The deputy head of the Tajik Mine Action Cell (TMAC), Parviz Mavlonqulov, says that seven people have been killed and 12 others have been injured in mine explosions in
Tajikistan
this year. The majority of incidents have been reported in Sughd Province, according to him.
The TMAC deputy head says that although Uzbek authorities stated several weeks ago that they started demining of the Uzbek-Tajik border but this has not yet been confirmed. “We have talked to residents of border areas and Tajik border troops but have not found any evidence that demining operations are being carried out,” said Mavlonqulov, “However, it does not mean that that they did not start deminig of the border but it means that we need close cooperation with Uzbekistan in order to tell people with confidence which areas of the border are safe and which not.”
We will recall that Rashid Habibov, deputy head Uzbekistan’s border guard service, said at a meeting of the CIS border forces heads in Dushanbe on October 20 that Uzbekistan has started demining of the Uzbek-Tajik border. According to him, demining started in the western part of the border and around 20 percent of the mined areas had been cleared. Russian news agency Itar-Tass quoted new Uzbekistan Ambassador to Tajikistan, Shoqasim Shoislamov, as telling journalists on December 12 following his meeting with President Rahmonov that he had formally briefed the authorities of Tajikistan on progress in the mine-clearing operation on the Uzbek-Tajik border. So far all mines have been removed along the West Babatag section of the state border, the Uzbek ambassador said.
