DUSHANBE, September 15, 2010, Asia-Plus — By president’s order the Minister of Defense Sherali Khairulloyev, the Minister of Interiors Abdurahim Qahhorov and the First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) Mansourjon Umarov today morning departed for Gharm district, some 185 kilometer east of Dushanbe, to conduct negotiations with local former field commanders, including Mirzokhouja Ahmadov, who have allegedly been armed again and pose a threat to the country’s security, a source at one of the country’s power wielding structures told Asia-Plus today.
We will recall that during civil war, Rasht was a stronghold of militants of the former United Tajik Opposition (UTO).
In the meantime, Mirzokhouja Ahmadov told Asia-plus by phone that there were many armed representatives of the government security forces in the region now. “As far as I know, they are combing the area in the framework of a search operation for escaped prisoners,” Ahmadov said.
We will recall that Mirzokhouja Ahmadov warned in late July this year that he will take up arms if force is used against him and his supporters. He stated that after investigation into murder of the commander of special police unit Oleg Zakharchenko was resumed and Ahmadov is accused of having been involved in killing of Zakharchenko.
The special police unit was attacked on February 2, 2008 after it was dispatched to the Rasht district headquarters of the regional state body empowered to combat organized crime. The police unit was reportedly seeking to arrest the head of the body, Mirzokhouja Ahmadov, but was fired upon by gunmen loyal to Ahmadov. Oleg Zakharchenko was the only person killed, although several policemen sustained injuries in the shoot-out. Ahmadov was a member of the UTO during the country”s civil war in the mid-1990s but was later appointed to a senior police post as part of a broader attempt at reintegrating former rebel leaders.
Relations between Tajik authorities and a number of former UTO field commanders in the Rasht region worsened in summer 2008. The situation was settled by the president who met with former militants and proposed them to lay down arms in exchange for pardon.
The situation in the region, however, became aggravated in summer 2009. In summer 2009, illegal armed groups clashed with police in Tavildara district on two separate occasions. Tajik officials reported in early July last year that ex-Minister of Emergencies Mirzo Ziyoev had been arrested because of his support for armed groups suspected of involvement in terrorism and drug trafficking. Tajik authorities announced shortly afterward that Ziyoev was killed in ambush by his supporters on his way to negotiate the disarming of insurgents. His supporters deny any responsibility for his death. In July 2009, Tajik law enforcement forces were fighting insurgents in the area for several weeks. Some 50 insurgents were detained and 11 others were killed. Tajik authorities conducted what they said was an anti-drug operation in the area.
