“Strangers across the Amu River: Community Perceptions along the Tajik-Afghan Borders. Joint Project conducted by the researchers of SIPRI, AISS and Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences”

The research project covers nine border districts of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Led by Professor Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh, Mr. Abdul Ahad Mohammadi of AISS and Mr. Qosimsho Iskandarov of Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences conducted the field work in Afghanistan and Tajikistan respectively. The research was supported by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and Open Society Foundation (OSF).

The study evaluates the issues regarding the negligence of human security in border communities in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and its negative impact on the stability of border areas. Additionally, the research focuses on how people from both sides of the border evaluate the opportunities and possible threats within their communities and how they relate to their kins on the other side of the border. The paper also attempts to understand the role of communities in the reduction of current tensions and improvement of further cooperation in the border states.  Finally, the study highlights the significance of providing public amenities in the border areas as a key factor for the maintenance of stability in border areas.