The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has expressed its readiness to help Tajikistan in the situation following the offensive of the Taliban (banned in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries) in northern Afghanistan. Experts believe that Moscow, a key member of the CSTO, will not ask for anything in return, as it itself is interested in stability on the Tajik-Afghan border
The so-called successes of the Taliban terrorist movement (banned in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries) in northern Afghanistan have caused particular concern in Tajikistan.
Militants now control about 80 percent of Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan, according to various sources, in the provinces of Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan.
In recent statements, the terrorist Taliban (banned in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries) declares a desire for dialogue with the Tajik authorities and even calls the Republic of Tajikistan a “friendly state”.
At a July 5 meeting of Tajikistan’s Security Council, President Emomali Rahmon instructed Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo to mobilize 20,000 reserve troops to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border.
Military experts from the Russian and Uzbek defense ministries have already arrived in Tajikistan to prepare for a joint anti-terrorist exercise to be held August 1-10 at the Kharbmaidon training range (230 kilometers south of Dushanbe).
Also, Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on July 24. The ministers discussed the situation in the Tajik-Afghan border area and joint measures to neutralize threats related to the aggravation of the situation in Afghanistan.
201st military base in Tajikistan is the basis of the Russian military presence in the Central Asia. It includes several motorized rifle battalions, an artillery division, support units, and an air group, including combat and transport helicopters. In addition, there is a Russian air base near the city of Kant in northern Kyrgyzstan, where Su-25SM attack aircrafts and Mi-8 helicopters are deployed.
In early July, at a meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council, Khasan Sultonov, Tajikistan’s Permanent and Plenipotentiary Representative to the CSTO, described the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border and asked for help.
“Considering the current situation and the fact that some sections of the border with Afghanistan are located in inaccessible mountainous areas, it will be difficult to cope with this challange alone. These circumstances require an appropriate response from us within the CSTO, including measures to strengthen our capacity to protect our southern borders,” Sultonov said.
According to him, it is important to implement the decisions of the Collective Security Council of September 23, 2013 “On providing assistance to the Republic of Tajikistan in strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border.”
“Therefore, we want to call on member states of the organization to contribute to the full implementation of this document,” he added.
At the end of June, the CSTO declared its readiness to provide Tajikistan with all necessary assistance in connection with the situation on the border with Afghanistan.
On July 7-9, a CSTO task force, headed by Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, visited Tajikistan to assess the situation on the border with Afghanistan.
As a result of the visit, Anatoly Sidorov stated that Tajikistan needs technical assistance to protect the border with Afghanistan, but there is no need to involve joint forces of the organization.
Tajik political scientist Ma’ruf Abdujabborov said the CSTO can assist Tajikistan in various ways.
“It could be a regular exchange of information on the level of dangers and threats emanating from Afghanistan. Simultaneously, we could conduct tactical exercises to increase the combat readiness of border troops,” Abdujabborov said.
Military-technical co-operation and, if necessary, involvement of CSTO forces for direct participation in military operations could also be involved, he said.
Abdujabborov pointed out that border security is not the only task for Tajikistan as a CSTO member.
“The issues of accommodation of refugees, provision of material assistance, ensuring their security, for which Tajikistan is responsible, should attract the attention of CSTO member states. In other words, the humanitarian sphere of cooperation within the CSTO needs to be significantly expanded,” the Tajik expert believes.
Abdujabborov believes that Russia, as a key CSTO country, will not make demands on Tajikistan in exchange for aid, as this could call into question the “integrity” of the organization.
“CSTO peacekeepers have never been involved in armed conflicts, despite its significant military potential. Therefore, it is difficult to assess the real value of the organization. As we have seen, in recent years the Kyrgyz revolution, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the revolution in Belarus have revived the question of the effectiveness of the CSTO. Although the CSTO intervention in the aforementioned events was considered beyond the organization’s competence, some of the hopes of these member states for the CSTO have not come true,” concluded the Tajik expert.
CABAR.asia editorial commentary: The popular uprisings in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus are considered to be internal processes of these countries, and these states have not sought assistance through the CSTO.
Rakhmatullo Abdulloev, a Tajik expert on Afghanistan and Iran, believes it is in Russia’s interest to help Tajikistan protect its southern border. The expert recalled that Tajikistan has the largest Russian military base abroad.
“We should keep in mind that for more than two centuries Russia has had key geostrategic and military interests in the Central Asian region, and if the situation deteriorates, it could affect Russia’s own security system,” Abdulloyev said.
In his opinion, Russia, of course, expects something from Tajikistan in return for this assistance, especially in the issue of joining the Eurasian Economic Union.
“The CSTO is a military organization with a specific purpose. The charter of the organization says that if a member state is threatened or attacked, it means all those states are attacked. Given Russia’s key role in the region, it also wants to pursue its economic and military interests in the region through this organization,” Abdulloyev said.
Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty
“If one of the States Parties is subjected to aggression (armed attack threatening security, stability, territorial integrity and sovereignty), this shall be regarded by the States Parties as aggression (armed attack threatening security, stability, territorial integrity and sovereignty) against all States Parties to this Treaty. In the event of aggression (armed attack threatening the security, stability, territorial integrity and sovereignty) against any of the States Parties, all other States Parties shall, at the request of that State Party, immediately provide it with the necessary assistance, including military assistance, as well as support with the means at their disposal in the exercise of the right of collective defence in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Military expert Sharif Salimov drew attention to Article 4 of the treaty establishing the CSTO, which talks about the obligations of all parties in case one of the countries is attacked. In the event of a Taliban incursion into Tajikistan (a movement banned in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries), the CSTO would provide Tajikistan with all necessary military aid without asking for anything in return, he said.
“In this case bargaining is not appropriate and Russia will not set any preconditions. Russia is more interested than anyone in stabilizing relations on the state border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan,” Salimov said.