DUSHANBE, November 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — The question of mine clearance on the Uzbek-Tajik border will be left open until tension exists and there is threat of destabilization of the situation in Afghanistan, Uzbek Ambassador to Tajikistan, Shokasim Shoislamov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“The question will be left open until there is threat of penetration of various terrorist groups from Afghanistan into Tajikistan and from here into Uzbekistan,” Uzbek diplomat said.
According to him, mines were laid along Uzbekistan’s common border with Tajikistan to prevent terrorist groups and drug-trafficking rings from crossing into Uzbekistan. “Mines laid in mountain areas do not cause concern to anybody and normal person has nothing to do in such areas difficult of access,” said Shoislamov, “Only persons wanting to illegally cross the border go to these areas and mines were laid against such persons.”
However, part of minefields along the Uzbek-Tajik border was cleared two years ago, Uzbek diplomat said. “If the Uzbek government sees that danger in separate sections of common border with Tajikistan has decreased, it will solve the issue of clearance of these sections jointly with the Tajik government,” Shoislamov said, adding that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will have to discuss the mine clearance issues in a bilateral format in order to find mutually acceptable solution to the problem.
We will recall that land mines along the Tajik-Uzbek border were laid by the Uzbek authorities in 1999. The action was reportedly taken to stave off incursions by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). This unilateral decision of Uzbekistan has caused many casualties among the civilian Tajik population. Most of the victims were women and children who were gathering firewood along the border as well as shepherds pasturing cattle in the areas. Almost all who have survived, have become disabled for life.
As of March 2008, land mines laid along the Uzbek border killed more than 70 Tajik civilians and injured 80 more; more than 30 percent of victims of land-mine explosions on the Uzbek border were children,
