DUSHANBE, August 15, 2012, Asia-Plus – Despite promises from heads of the power-wielding agencies to withdraw the government troops from Khorog, the provincial capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region until Tuesday (August 14), this question remains open, the Asia-Plus’s correspondent reports from Khorog.
Reliable sources say the president would make a decision on that issue after a meeting with senior representatives from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in Tajikistan.
A meeting of President Emomali Rahmon with Mr. Munir Merali, Resident Representative of AKDN in Tajikistan, and Mr. Yodgor Fayzov, CEO of AKF in Tajikistan, is expected to take place today, the source said.
Meanwhile, representatives from President’s Executive Office have not yet confirmed this information.
According to some sources, the government troops will stay in Khorog until the end of President Rahmon’s visit to Khorog, scheduled for the next week.
To-date, inconsiderable part of servicemen of the Ministry of Defense has been withdrawn from Khorog, while special subunits of various power-wielding agencies still remain in the GBAO provincial capital, an official source at one of Tajikistan’s law enforcement agencies told Asia-Plus in an interview. Snipers also remain in their positions in the mountains above Khorog, he added.
Meanwhile, reports from Khorog say the number of government troops at six checkpoints in the regional capital has been reduced due to an agreement reached by representatives from local commission and the power-wielding agencies. They have been replaced with volunteers from among Khorog residents, who will assist local police with maintaining public order in the city.
Sources say the authorities are still demanding that the GBAO former field commanders be handed over to face justice.
We will recall that Tolib Ayombekov, head of a rebel group accused of killing the GBAO regional security chief, has surrendered to the authorities. Prior to his surrender late on August 12, Ayombekov told the Khorog television station that he wanted to give himself up along with several of his supporters for the sake of peace in the region.
The clashes began in Khorog on July 24 when government forces launched a military operation against what it called “militants” following the murder of the regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov on July 21.
The authorities have blamed Tolib Ayombekov, a former warlord from the civil war, for the murder of Abdullo Nazarov. Hundreds of troops have reportedly poured into Khorog to hunt down Ayombekov.
Authorities also accused Ayombekov of drug-trading and smuggling tobacco and precious stones.
Tolib Ayombekov has denied the accusations and said the government is using Nazarov”s death as a pretext for cementing its grip over Gorno Badakhshan. According to some media sources, fighting that occurred in Khorog last month has left at least 17 soldiers, 30 militants, and more than 20 civilians dead.
