TAJIK GOVERNMENT CLAIMS MILITARY ADVANCES, IGNORES UN.

Tajik Defense Ministry officials said yesterday that their troops are advancing in Tavildara district, having forced the opposition to withdraw "with big losses" from Tavildara town and surrounding villages. The officials credited the unit of Colonel Mahmud Khudoberdiev — leader of last year’s anti-government mutiny in Kurgan-Tyube — for spearheading this offensive.

The new UN special envoy for Tajikistan, Gerd Merrem, obtained the opposition’s but not Dushanbe’s consent to resuming the inter-Tajik talks this week. President Imomali Rahmonov had successfully forced a postponement until next month in the apparent hope of completing the offensive operation by that time. The UN was also unable to obtain Rahmonov’s consent to a visit by the UN. Military Observer Group in Tajikistan (UNMOT) to the combat zone. The U.N. Security Council last week renewed UNMOT’s mandate for another six months.

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions