Days after a reportedly devastating terror attack in Xinjiang province on Monday, where dozens were said to have been killed or wounded with axes and knives, questions are emerging about what exactly happened. Official state news agency Xinhua did not provide an exact number, saying only that “a gang armed with knives and axes attacked…
The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development has committed $50m to assist in funding the modernization of Tajikistan’s Qairokkum hydroelectric plant. The plant, a 1957 holdover from the Soviet era, is currently the only facility that generates electricity for Tajikistan’s northern provinces, which currently hosts about 500,000 homes. The funds allocated to the project by…
The looming deadline of American-led international coalition forces has noticeably emboldened the Taliban. Over the weekend Taliban fighters spread throughout Afghanistan launched offenses that were centered not only on areas known for their Taliban presence such as Kandahar, but also in areas surrounding Kabul and near Herat, in Afghanistan’s West, and regions near the Durand…
Just 10 days after an agreement was reached to perform a full audit of Afghan ballots cast in the runoff election last month, Abdullah Abduallh walked out for a third time, claiming that audit criteria was not being adhered to. The main issue of dispute is deciding how to handle ballots from polling stations that…
In July, we sat down with Dr. Thomas Barfield, currently a Professor in Boston University’s Department of Anthropology, with research primarily focused on political development in Afghanistan. He is the author of several books, the most recent of which is Afghanistan: A Political and Cultural History. Currently President of the American Institute for Afghanistan Studies, Dr.…
A rigorous audit of all votes cast in Afghanistan’s recent presidential elections has resumed following a 48 hour suspension due to irregularities in certain Afghan electoral organizations and a disagreement in certain technical aspects of the audit. The differences have at least ostensibly been resolved, and the nearly 200 teams of auditors have resumed their…
Tajik researcher and academic Aleksandr Sodiqov has been released by Tajik government authorities after nearly 40 days in captivity in Dushanbe. Sodiqov had been investigating unrest in Tajikistan’s restive Badakhshan province, was detained with little explanation, and charges of treason had been levied against him for speaking to members of opposition there. Sodiqov had been…
States in Central Asia have recently renewed their interest in joining global organizations such as the World Trade Organization. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, two of the more economically prosperous Central Asian states, have expressed their desire to join the WTO as they continue to position them in an ever-changing Central Asia. Uzbekistan is currently listed as…
The Foreign Ministers of the European Union, in addition to debating the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, have been considering taking a stronger stance on the deteriorating diplomatic relations with Russia. The debate has mostly been over imposing punitive measures such as sanctions versus ensuring that an independent search of the crash site is undertaken…
Tajik Minister of Transport and Roads Hayrullo Asozodas announced that his country, along with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, have agreed to the final set of terms that would precede the construction of a multinational railway that would connect Tajikistan and Turkmenistan by way of Afghanistan. The railway project has been in the works since 2013, when…
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