Kyrgyzstan strategizes for peace after a deadly conflict with Tajikistan over border control last month. The conflict between the two resulted in the deaths of 100 people, with 137,000 Kyrgyz evacuated from the conflict zone. The instigator of the initial attack is unclear as both sides claim to be in defense.

The conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been ongoing since the 1930s. The problem that arises between the two countries is over what sections of the border belong to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

After gaining sovereignty from the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had 981 km of border to be split up. Only 519 km of the border shared between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was demarcated.

The rest of the border was left contested between the two countries. Competition for the rest of the border is fierce, with various factors playing into it, including water access. The two share 40 water channels which often “become blocked from locals on both sides,” which leads to strife between the two countries.

Creating a solid border between the two countries proves to be a difficult task to agree on. Russia, who plays the role of mediator between the two, “cannot decide on which document is necessary to make state borders,” given there are multiple documents from both sides claiming the same part of the border.

Last week, the Kyrgyz Defense Minister called on CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) troops to take posts on the border. The CSTO is comprised of the countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia. The presence of CSTO would act as a third party in order to de-escalate any possibility of further conflict.

Vladimir Putin has agreed to give Kyrgyzstan Soviet-era maps in hopes that the two countries will use these to finalize a border.