CSTO Warns Afghanistan Instability Threatens Tajikistan and Regional Security
The Collective Security Treaty Organization has warned that continued instability in Afghanistan, especially in areas bordering Tajikistan, poses a threat to regional security. The organisation said it is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and that concerns about insecurity in some areas remain unresolved.
Talatbek Masadykov, the CSTO secretary-general, said in reference to the situation in Afghanistan that continued instability within the organisation’s area of responsibility creates clear risks for regional security. He specifically pointed to areas near Tajikistan’s border.
The warning comes as clashes were reported in recent days in the Nesi district of Badakhshan province, near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, between men affiliated with Jumma Khan Fateh and forces from the Taliban administration’s Defence Ministry. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over the fragility of the security situation in northeastern Afghanistan.
Sources affiliated with the Taliban administration said today that Jumma Khan Fateh, the former deputy governor of Zabul and a disgruntled local commander in Badakhshan, along with his armed men, had surrendered to Taliban administration forces in Nesi district. This claim has so far not been confirmed by independent sources.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had previously described developments in Afghanistan as one of the main challenges facing the bloc during a meeting with the CSTO secretary-general. According to him, the security situation in Central Asia and events related to Afghanistan are among the organisation’s key items on its agenda.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a Russia-led security alliance that includes a number of Central Asian countries. Badakhshan is one of the provinces in northeastern Afghanistan, part of which borders Tajikistan.
