Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said in a November 12 address to citizens that there may be attempts to provoke an interethnic conflict between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the country’s south. According to him, certain political forces are discussing organizing unrest in order to disrupt the upcoming presidential election scheduled for January 27, 2027. The president said he had received information about alleged plans to incite ethnic hatred through false rumors and provocative statements touching national sensitivities.
Key Takeaways: Japarov warned of possible provocations in southern Kyrgyzstan; he linked the alleged plans to attempts to destabilize the situation ahead of the election; he also referenced the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project as a possible motive.
Japarov said the plans are currently only being discussed. “For now they are only talking about it. However, there is a possibility that these provocative plans may be realized,” he warned. He recalled the tragic events of 1990 and 2010, when mass clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks occurred in southern Kyrgyzstan and civilians were killed. The president urged representatives of both ethnic groups not to succumb to provocations and called on the older generation to explain the consequences of such conflicts to young people.
Separately, Japarov linked the alleged destabilization plans to the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway. In his view, some politicians are interested in preventing the completion of the transport project. The president suggested that after unsuccessful attempts to stir public discontent over Chinese presence, such forces may switch to interethnic tensions. He did not name the alleged organizers or present specific evidence of preparations for unrest.
The president stressed that the authorities have sufficient forces to prevent mass clashes, but even a brief conflict could lead to casualties. He called on citizens to report suspicious actions and calls for ethnic hatred to the national security service, the Interior Ministry or local administrations, and warned of strict liability for attempts to incite discord. The address came amid preparations for the presidential election on January 27, 2027. The incumbent has said he intends to run for a second term, and it was previously reported that Japarov had officially submitted an application to Kyrgyzstan’s Central Election Commission to nominate himself.
Source: podrobno.uz