Anis H. Bajrektarevic is a Professor and a Chairperson for International Law and Global

Party bosses rise to power. Many of the old “Ap-
paratchiks” rule in the countries today includ-
ing: Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev,
Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov, and Tajikistan’s
Emomali Rakhmon. In 2006, Turkmenistan’s
Supramurat Niyazov died and Kyrgyzstan’s
long-standing President Askar Akaev was
ousted in the 2005 Tulip Revolution as well as
his replacement, Kurmanbek Bakiev, was
ousted in unrest in 2010 under similar circum-
stances which paved the way for democratic
elections.
INTERESTS & INFLUENCES OF MAJOR EXTERNAL ACTORS IN CENTRAL ASIA
10

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Each of the newly independent states experi-
enced destabilization. As compared to other re-
gions that have experienced annexation and
then independence, Central Asia has been rel-
atively calm. The events that occurred in the
Central Asian states (see below) are normal and
expected for states undergoing transition.
Tajikistan
endured a civil war lasting from
1992-1997 causing 50,000 deaths, 1.2 million
displaced (according to UN figures) and a hu-
manitarian disaster causing lasting discord and
fragility. There are still occasional flare-ups of vi-
olence: Khorog in 2010 and the attacks in
Dushanbe in September 2015. 
kyrgyzstan
experienced riots in the early 1990s
between ethnic Uzbeks and ethnic Kyrgyz. 
kazakhstan
experienced student riots in the
1990 Alma-Ata riots
kyrgyzstan
was the only country to have a “col-
ored revolution” in 2005 which ousted former
Soviet Community Party boss (and his family),
Askar Akaev, from the country.
In 2010, kyrgyzstan
experienced another re-
volt which resulted in the ousting of President
Kurmanbek Bakiev and his family from Kyrgyzs-
tan. Ethnic clashes also occurred in 2010 be-
tween ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks in
southern Kyrgyzstan and played large role in his 
ouster. Many from the Bakiev family are wanted
on murder charges, inciting violence, and for
fraud. Kyrgyzstan has gone through a bumpy
transition on its way to be one of the few
democracies in the region. 
uzbekistan
has had its share of poor publicity
with Islam Karimov’s tactics and Uzbekistan’s
unofficial policy of torture and disregard for
human rights against his political opponents
and alleged and confirmed extremists and ter-
rorists. This was best demonstrated by the
events in May 2005, the Andijan Massacre.