Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan should place local people's human rights at the center of the historic deal over their contested border, and provide justice to victims of war crimes during a 2022 border conflict, Human Rights Watch said today.
The agreement was signed on March 13, 2025 by Tajik president Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov during Rahmon's first official visit to Kyrgyzstan since the September 2022 conflict. The agreement has since been ratified by parliaments in both countries and border crossings have been re-opened.
"Civilians living in the disputed areas between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have long borne the brunt of conflicts over the contested border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, so the draft border deal is an important step forward," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But long-lasting peace will require rebuilding trust based on respect for human rights between border communities and reckoning with the injustices committed during past conflicts."
The agreement includes a plan for land swaps of equal size and the shared management and use of water resources and facilities, as well as a commitment not to fly drones or station any heavy military equipment and auxiliary forces along the border. The agreement was ratified by the lower chamber of the Tajik parliament on March 18, and the Kyrgyzstan parliament on March 19.
On March 25, Kyrgyz president Japarov signed the law to ratify the agreement.
Tens of thousands of people living in the border region have been heavily affected by cross-border tensions and violence. The September 22 conflict was the deadliest, with forces of both countries engaging in four days of fighting. A Human Rights Watch investigation found that at least 37 civilians were killed and up to 121 injured in at least eight incidents.
The fighting included apparent war crimes by both sides. Kyrgyz forces caried out a drone strike on a town square in Tajikistan, attacked three ambulances carrying wounded Tajik civilians, and apparently indiscriminately shelled populated areas in Tajikistan. Tajik forces apparently deliberately killed civilians and caried out widespread deliberate destruction of homes and other civilian property.
In earlier clashes in April 2021, at least 41 people were killed, hundreds were injured, and civilian property was extensively damaged. There was also extensive damage to civilian property.
International humanitarian law, which applies to all parties to an international armed conflict, requires parties to distinguish between civilians and combatants at all times. It prohibits attacks that target civilians or that are indiscriminate or expected to cause harm to civilians and civilian objects that are disproportionate to the direct and concrete military advantage anticipated. Warring parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize harming civilians.
Both governments have a responsibility to investigate potential violations or abuses by their forces and civilians in the areas they controlled and hold those responsible to account. Victims and their relatives living in the border areas deserve to know the truth about what happened and be compensated for it justly, Human Rights Watch said. But neither side has publicized any findings about violations committed by their forces during these conflicts. As part of the agreement, the village of Dostuk in Kyrgyzstan will be transferred to Tajikistan in exchange for territory of equal size. Residents of Dostuk requested and are to be granted additional land in the village they are to be relocated to, media reported. The two governments should ensure that the border agreement respects the rights of local populations, including property rights, and access to education, adequate housing, and water.
They should also promote initiatives designed to strengthen respect for human rights between local communities in border areas, for example programs to reduce hate speech. Both governments should endorse the international Safe Schools Declaration and the Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan's international partners should support steps by the two governments to rebuild trust based on respect for human rights between the border communities, including by supporting the investigation into serious violations of international humanitarian law in the September 2022 border conflict and ensuring accountability.
"The border agreement is an opportunity for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to look to the future" Williamson said. "For this to be meaningful, prioritizing the rights of local people and remedying past wrongs are essential steps."
