Research Papers N° 51

European Post Graduate School of International & Development Studies

Restoring peace in Tajikistan

H.E. Ambassador Rustamjon Soliev

2015

Restoring peace in Tajikistan

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon made a historic contribution to ending an internecine civil war (1992-1997), to achieving, promoting, safeguarding and maintaining peace, stability, and national concord and unity in Tajik society, restoring public order and security to the country, ensuring the return of internally displaced persons and refugees from abroad to their homeland, the adoption of a new constitution and the implementation of political and economic reforms1. President Rahmon then played a remarkable role in addressing the challenges of the post-war period: primarily through the activities of the National Reconciliation Commission, which led to a long-awaited General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan. The accession of Emomali Rahmon to power in Tajikistan was preceded by dramatic events in the struggle for power in a young and still weak country. It was perestroika in the USSR and its consequences – pluralism, the establishment of new political parties and organisations, and numerous subsequent rallies and confrontations – which turned into a civil war in the newly independent Tajikistan. The armed conflict caused colossal damage to the economy of the state and led to considerable human losses. The lives of the tens of thousands of people who died in these tragic years constitute an inestimable loss. At a rough estimate, the republic sustained damages totalling over US$10 billion2. According to the President of the Republic E. Rahmon, “simultaneously a struggle for power arose, an attempt to seize it through illegal, coercive, anti-democratic methods split society, leading to the senseless fratricidal war”.3 As in any civil war, there were no winners. Loss, grief and hardship were felt by the Tajik people. More than 150,000 citizens of Tajikistan were killed, 55,000 children were orphaned, and 25,000 women were widowed. In addition, a large number of houses, schools and bridges were burned or destroyed. This unprecedented destruction and damage set the country’s economy back for a few years and reduced the living standards of the working people.4 What happened in November 1992 was of particular significance in this respect5. It was precisely at the beginning of such a dramatic period, when the bloody interregional confrontation was still being fought and everything had been destroyed, that, at its special XVI session (16 November 1992), the Supreme Council of the Republic put forward the candidature of Emomali Rahmon to head the country. Initially the new president did not have at his disposal an office full of professionals, with experience in dealing with high-level political, economic and cultural issues and in interacting with neighbouring states. However, Emomali Rahmon’s mettle as a leader and a patriot, and, more importantly, as the head of the country, never failed at the most critical moments. In addition to his inherent dignity, certain external factors acted to the advantage of the young and charismatic head of state – a power of attraction, his ability to persuade, his demeanour, charm and patience, and an understanding of the complexity of the role he had assumed, in taking over the reins of power in a state at a practical impasse. President Emomali Rahmon believed that improvement could be achieved; he believed it because he was not defending his personal interests and because he was the guarantor of the peace and security of an entire people, in all regions of the country. He was fully aware that, without accord and without bringing together former adversaries, it was impossible to create an integral, stable, developing democratic and secular state6. President Emomali Rahmon, named a Hero of Tajikistan in 1999, is a very public and accessible, modest and attractive leader. His further achievements as head of state in terms of maintaining peace and national unity depend, to a large extent, on the closeness and credibility of his ties with all strata of society, including all the country’s national minorities. President Emomali Rahmon, for the official governmental side, was actively engaged in and had a decisive, positive impact on the process of inter- Tajik peace talks which were jointly held with the United Tajik Opposition headed by Said Abdullo Nuri. The difference between the inter-Tajik talks and other similar dialogues lay in the fact that they took place between Tajiks themselves, united by their ethnic identity and following the same religion (Islam), although separated by regional differences and their plans for the country, with the government aiming to set up a secular state, while the opposition pursued an Islamic state. These negotiations took place in 8 rounds in all — in Kabul, Islamabad, Almaty, Ashgabat, Tehran, Khosdeh (Afghanistan), Moscow, Mashhad (Iran), and Bishkek. The inter-Tajik peace talks took place under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of the guarantor countries – Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, countries which made a significant contribution to bringing about peace in Tajikistan. The difficult process of inter-Tajik talks ended with the signing of the “General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan” on 27 June 1997 in Moscow7. This day is now widely celebrated in Tajikistan as National Unity Day. After signing the agreement and as a result of the sustained efforts of the government headed by President Emomali Rahmon, an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity and national reconciliation prevailed in the country. Wise leadership, incomparable human sincerity, patriotism, and fruitful cooperation in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, skilful and effective organisation of the branches of government, the roles of nongovernmental organisations, popular movements and political parties, the trust of the people of the country, including various political groups in the head of state Emomali Rahmon, were all factors facilitating the achievement of major plans. Through the difficult years of governing Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon’s positions of principle, humanism and peacemaking activities have earned him considerable authority and respect, both in his own country and abroad8. The experience and practice of inter-Tajik peace are not only of national but also of international importance, as they can be applied in resolving internal conflicts in various regions of the world, like Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. As President Emomali Rahmon once noted on this point himself, “No wonder that our experience in promoting peace, returning almost one million refugees to their homeland and former homes, organising social support for them by influential international organisations, including the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has been appreciated and recognised as a unique model of peacemaking”. A comprehensive study of this experience gives the international community the possibility to prevent conflicts when they arise, and as quickly as possible, to find ways to resolve them. This is borne out by quotes from many world leaders about the merits of Emomali Rahmon in restoring peace in Tajikistan. As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan rightfully noted, “Tajikistan has presented a unique example to many other countries on how to resolve internal conflicts. I think that this was a contribution of Tajikistan to the history of peacemaking”. Presentations on this unique experience were subsequently given by the Permanent Mission of Tajikistan to the European Union at UNESCO (Paris), the European Parliament, the Office of the Council of Europe and the International Press Club (Brussels), as well as the ‘Clingendael’ Institute of International Relations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 2 October 2, 2012, the authoritative bilingual (English and French) diplomatic magazine "Diplomatic World" (Brussels) published an article about the two decades of activity as president of Emomali Rahmon and his decisive role in restoring peace and national unity and in all-round development in Tajikistan9. In addition, on 27 June 2015, marking the date of the signature of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan, the prestigious European Union weekly newspaper "New Europe" published an article in English by the Ambassador of Tajikistan in Brussels, R. Soliev, entitled "Emomali Rahmon: Tajikistan’s Architect of Peace" summarising the history of the negotiations to end the civil war and the country’s experience in achieving inter-Tajik peace.10 There are few recent examples in the history of civilisation of a civil war being ended and the warring parties reconciled in such a short space of time, with the opposing sides focusing their efforts on developing the creative activity of a unified state machinery for the prosperity of their homeland. The restoration of peace and achievement of national accord in Tajikistan, the strengthening of the country’s independence and the implementation of historically significant reforms are directly attributable to President Emomali Rahmon. He headed Tajikistan at the time when the country faced the threat of disintegration and the loss of its independence. From the earliest days of his office, Emomali Rahmon assigned primary importance to the problem of unifying society, and for over 20 years he has continued to direct policy towards peace and creation. In addition to his peacemaking experience, and despite the difficulties of an internal nature and the destructive impact of the events in the region of Central Asia and Afghanistan, President Emomali Rahmon has taken a principled position against modern threats and challenges, such as terrorism, extremism, illegal drug trafficking, transnational crime, and natural and man-made disasters. In 2013, UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, on an official visit to Dushanbe, honoured the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon with a “60 Years of UNESCO” Jubilee Medal “In recognition of a deep commitment to the goals of building lasting peace and fostering sustainable development, including through initiatives to promote water cooperation and international dialogue, share scientific knowledge and advance progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and the internationally-agreed development goals”, attesting once again to the extraordinary commitment to peace and peacemaking activities of the Head of Tajik state. In this context, President Emomali Rahmon, thanks to his remarkable contribution to the promotion and safeguarding of durable peace and national unity in Tajikistan, merits praise, honour and acclaim.

1 The Architect of Peace (a portrait of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon). Authors: Abdufattoh Sharifzoda, Abdullo Ghafurov. Brussels, 2012. 263 pages.

2 Ibid. p. 17.

3 Rahmonov E. Policy of peace and construction. Addresses and speeches. Dushanbe, 2001. – p. 9.

4 The History of the Tajik people. – Vol. 6. – Dushanbe, 2011. – p. 456.

5 Foundation of the newest statehood. – M., 2002. – p. 306.

6 “Narodnaya gazeta” journal. – 17 July 1993.

7 Usmonov I.K. Peace process in Tajikistan // Motherland. Bulletin of actual forecasts. – pp. 12-13.

8 The Architect of Peace (op cit.). p. 90.

9 Archives of the official website of the Diplomatic World magazine. http://smooz.4your.net/diplomatic- world/files/TAJIKISTANPUNCH.pdf;

10 “Emomali Rahmon: Tajikistan’s Architect of Peace”, New Europe, Issue 1127, p. 06, 28 June-4 July 2015; Restoring peace in Tajikistan

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon made a historic contribution to ending an internecine civil war (1992-1997), to achieving, promoting, safeguarding and maintaining peace, stability, and national concord and unity in Tajik society, restoring public order and security to the country, ensuring the return of internally displaced persons and refugees from abroad to their homeland, the adoption of a new constitution and the implementation of political and economic reforms1. President Rahmon then played a remarkable role in addressing the challenges of the post-war period: primarily through the activities of the National Reconciliation Commission, which led to a long-awaited General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan. The accession of Emomali Rahmon to power in Tajikistan was preceded by dramatic events in the struggle for power in a young and still weak country. It was perestroika in the USSR and its consequences – pluralism, the establishment of new political parties and organisations, and numerous subsequent rallies and confrontations – which turned into a civil war in the newly independent Tajikistan. The armed conflict caused colossal damage to the economy of the state and led to considerable human losses. The lives of the tens of thousands of people who died in these tragic years constitute an inestimable loss. At a rough estimate, the republic sustained damages totalling over US$10 billion2. According to the President of the Republic E. Rahmon, “simultaneously a struggle for power arose, an attempt to seize it through illegal, coercive, anti-democratic methods split society, leading to the senseless fratricidal war”.3 As in any civil war, there were no winners. Loss, grief and hardship were felt by the Tajik people. More than 150,000 citizens of Tajikistan were killed, 55,000 children were orphaned, and 25,000 women were widowed. In addition, a large number of houses, schools and bridges were burned or destroyed. This unprecedented destruction and damage set the country’s economy back for a few years and reduced the living standards of the working people.4 What happened in November 1992 was of particular significance in this respect5. It was precisely at the beginning of such a dramatic period, when the bloody interregional confrontation was still being fought and everything had been destroyed, that, at its special XVI session (16 November 1992), the Supreme Council of the Republic put forward the candidature of Emomali Rahmon to head the country. Initially the new president did not have at his disposal an office full of professionals, with experience in dealing with high-level political, economic and cultural issues and in interacting with neighbouring states. However, Emomali Rahmon’s mettle as a leader and a patriot, and, more importantly, as the head of the country, never failed at the most critical moments. In addition to his inherent dignity, certain external factors acted to the advantage of the young and charismatic head of state – a power of attraction, his ability to persuade, his demeanour, charm and patience, and an understanding of the complexity of the role he had assumed, in taking over the reins of power in a state at a practical impasse. President Emomali Rahmon believed that improvement could be achieved; he believed it because he was not defending his personal interests and because he was the guarantor of the peace and security of an entire people, in all regions of the country. He was fully aware that, without accord and without bringing together former adversaries, it was impossible to create an integral, stable, developing democratic and secular state6. President Emomali Rahmon, named a Hero of Tajikistan in 1999, is a very public and accessible, modest and attractive leader. His further achievements as head of state in terms of maintaining peace and national unity depend, to a large extent, on the closeness and credibility of his ties with all strata of society, including all the country’s national minorities. President Emomali Rahmon, for the official governmental side, was actively engaged in and had a decisive, positive impact on the process of inter- Tajik peace talks which were jointly held with the United Tajik Opposition headed by Said Abdullo Nuri. The difference between the inter-Tajik talks and other similar dialogues lay in the fact that they took place between Tajiks themselves, united by their ethnic identity and following the same religion (Islam), although separated by regional differences and their plans for the country, with the government aiming to set up a secular state, while the opposition pursued an Islamic state. These negotiations took place in 8 rounds in all — in Kabul, Islamabad, Almaty, Ashgabat, Tehran, Khosdeh (Afghanistan), Moscow, Mashhad (Iran), and Bishkek. The inter-Tajik peace talks took place under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of the guarantor countries – Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, countries which made a significant contribution to bringing about peace in Tajikistan. The difficult process of inter-Tajik talks ended with the signing of the “General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan” on 27 June 1997 in Moscow7. This day is now widely celebrated in Tajikistan as National Unity Day. After signing the agreement and as a result of the sustained efforts of the government headed by President Emomali Rahmon, an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity and national reconciliation prevailed in the country. Wise leadership, incomparable human sincerity, patriotism, and fruitful cooperation in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, skilful and effective organisation of the branches of government, the roles of nongovernmental organisations, popular movements and political parties, the trust of the people of the country, including various political groups in the head of state Emomali Rahmon, were all factors facilitating the achievement of major plans. Through the difficult years of governing Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon’s positions of principle, humanism and peacemaking activities have earned him considerable authority and respect, both in his own country and abroad8. The experience and practice of inter-Tajik peace are not only of national but also of international importance, as they can be applied in resolving internal conflicts in various regions of the world, like Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. As President Emomali Rahmon once noted on this point himself, “No wonder that our experience in promoting peace, returning almost one million refugees to their homeland and former homes, organising social support for them by influential international organisations, including the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has been appreciated and recognised as a unique model of peacemaking”. A comprehensive study of this experience gives the international community the possibility to prevent conflicts when they arise, and as quickly as possible, to find ways to resolve them. This is borne out by quotes from many world leaders about the merits of Emomali Rahmon in restoring peace in Tajikistan. As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan rightfully noted, “Tajikistan has presented a unique example to many other countries on how to resolve internal conflicts. I think that this was a contribution of Tajikistan to the history of peacemaking”. Presentations on this unique experience were subsequently given by the Permanent Mission of Tajikistan to the European Union at UNESCO (Paris), the European Parliament, the Office of the Council of Europe and the International Press Club (Brussels), as well as the ‘Clingendael’ Institute of International Relations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 2 October 2, 2012, the authoritative bilingual (English and French) diplomatic magazine "Diplomatic World" (Brussels) published an article about the two decades of activity as president of Emomali Rahmon and his decisive role in restoring peace and national unity and in all-round development in Tajikistan9. In addition, on 27 June 2015, marking the date of the signature of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan, the prestigious European Union weekly newspaper "New Europe" published an article in English by the Ambassador of Tajikistan in Brussels, R. Soliev, entitled "Emomali Rahmon: Tajikistan’s Architect of Peace" summarising the history of the negotiations to end the civil war and the country’s experience in achieving inter-Tajik peace.10 There are few recent examples in the history of civilisation of a civil war being ended and the warring parties reconciled in such a short space of time, with the opposing sides focusing their efforts on developing the creative activity of a unified state machinery for the prosperity of their homeland. The restoration of peace and achievement of national accord in Tajikistan, the strengthening of the country’s independence and the implementation of historically significant reforms are directly attributable to President Emomali Rahmon. He headed Tajikistan at the time when the country faced the threat of disintegration and the loss of its independence. From the earliest days of his office, Emomali Rahmon assigned primary importance to the problem of unifying society, and for over 20 years he has continued to direct policy towards peace and creation. In addition to his peacemaking experience, and despite the difficulties of an internal nature and the destructive impact of the events in the region of Central Asia and Afghanistan, President Emomali Rahmon has taken a principled position against modern threats and challenges, such as terrorism, extremism, illegal drug trafficking, transnational crime, and natural and man-made disasters. In 2013, UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, on an official visit to Dushanbe, honoured the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon with a “60 Years of UNESCO” Jubilee Medal “In recognition of a deep commitment to the goals of building lasting peace and fostering sustainable development, including through initiatives to promote water cooperation and international dialogue, share scientific knowledge and advance progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and the internationally-agreed development goals”, attesting once again to the extraordinary commitment to peace and peacemaking activities of the Head of Tajik state. In this context, President Emomali Rahmon, thanks to his remarkable contribution to the promotion and safeguarding of durable peace and national unity in Tajikistan, merits praise, honour and acclaim.

1 The Architect of Peace (a portrait of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon). Authors: Abdufattoh Sharifzoda, Abdullo Ghafurov. Brussels, 2012. 263 pages.

2 Ibid. p. 17.

3 Rahmonov E. Policy of peace and construction. Addresses and speeches. Dushanbe, 2001. – p. 9.

4 The History of the Tajik people. – Vol. 6. – Dushanbe, 2011. – p. 456.

5 Foundation of the newest statehood. – M., 2002. – p. 306.

6 “Narodnaya gazeta” journal. – 17 July 1993.

7 Usmonov I.K. Peace process in Tajikistan // Motherland. Bulletin of actual forecasts. – pp. 12-13.

8 The Architect of Peace (op cit.). p. 90.

9 Archives of the official website of the Diplomatic World magazine. http://smooz.4your.net/diplomatic- world/files/TAJIKISTANPUNCH.pdf;

10 “Emomali Rahmon: Tajikistan’s Architect of Peace”, New Europe, Issue 1127, p. 06, 28 June-4 July 2015;