DUSHANBE, August 24, 2012, Asia-Plus – The first written agreement has been reached in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and under one of its points, military forces that are currently deployed around residential communities of the city will be moved to the military unit stationed in Khorog.
Several thousand people that gathered in a central square of Khorog on the morning of August 22 to protest the murder of informal leader of Gorno Badakhshan, Imomnazar Imomnazarov, dispersed only yesterday night.
We will recall that demonstrators demanded that the government withdraw additional forces from the area and dismiss the region’s top official. They alleged that the killing of Imomnazarov violated a truce between armed groups and the government that was reached last month after fighting in Khorog left around 70 people dead. Protesters also said that the continued presence of additional military forces in the area was contributing to tensions.
Meanwhile, the first written agreement was reached between the government forces, intermediary commission, members of the Khorog legislature, local religious leaders and activists of Khorog yesterday. It is to be noted that all the previous agreements between the sides were verbal.
The Asia-Plus’s correspondent reports from Khorog that the written agreement aimed at promoting the settlement of political and socioeconomic situation in Gorno Badakhshan consists of three points.
Under the first point, all participants of the last unauthorized rally should be released from responsibility for participation in unauthorized demonstration.
Under the second point, demonstrators disperse after signing of the document.
Under the third point, all military forces deployed around residential communities of the city will be moved to the military unit stationed in Khorog. This point also provides for consideration of the issue of the withdrawal of additional government forces from the region.
Reports from Khorog say the current situation in the regional capital is calm.
