The International Report
July 10th, 2022
Protests & Unrest in Uzbekistan Impacts UN Mission in TurkmenistanTASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN - Central Asian stability has again taken a downward turn this week, this time in the Karakalpak region of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan has imposed a regional state of emergency as the country is currently reeling from deadly mass unrest. People living in the autonomous province of Karakalpakstan, or simply Karakalpak, are protesting against the Uzbekistan government's plans to outlaw the region's autonomy.
At least 18 protesters have been killed, with hundreds wounded, and hundreds more arrested by security forces as a result of the protests in the region. Protestors formed crowds in the tens of thousands and marched through the provincial capital of Nukus, even storming and occupying local government buildings.
The protests were attributed to a leak regarding drafted amendments to the Uzbek Constitution that outlined the government's plans to limit the autonomy and right of the Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic to secede from the state of Uzbekistan, an option currently written for them under the existing Uzbek Constitution. As a result of the widespread protests and violence, the Uzbekistan President has indicated he will review and rescind the specific amendments which aim to strip the region of its autonomy.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Minister's office stated that "...The turmoil and internal matters of Uzbekistan are exactly that, and not of any immediate concern for the Russian Federation."
The response to the protests by Uzbekistan security forces, who were reported to have utilised live ammunition against protesters, has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, which comes at a particularly bad time for the United Nations Operation in Turkmenistan (UNOTURM) final preparations. It has been reported that the Uzbek military and state security forces earmarked for the UNOTURM mission comprised approximately 30% of the initial staging forces, with around 10%, or approximately 3,000 or so troops towards the total UNOTURM mission force.
The UNOTURM mission is reported to continue on track for this week, with reports that both aid workers and peacekeepers will begin operations at some point over the next three days. No official comment has been made by the UN, but sources familiar with the UNOTURM mission suggest the setback resulting from the reassignment of Uzbek forces will impact the initial projections for stability and relief efforts in Turkmenistan.
AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY 1-506th S-2Reviewed By: 1LT Jason Mallory
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