Kyrgyzstan
The political and military situation in Kyrgyzstan is not entirely stable. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, sporadic border disputes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have taken place over shared land resources and border posts.1 These armed conflicts continue today, specifically in the western region of Batken. Landmines from the Soviet Union era continue to pose significant risks in Kyrgyzstan, but their locations are unclear.2
The OSCE, ITF and GICHD are on the ground to help with the through-life management of ammunition by working with the Ministry of Defence of Kyrgyzstan. Efforts have included disposing of expired artillery and ammunition, training with the Kyrgyz military to provide knowledge on ammunition management, conducting technical assessments on storage facilities and methods for fuel components disposal, and regional assessment visits on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) practices.3
1Helf, Gavin. “Border Clash between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Risks Spinning out of Control.” United States Institute of Peace, May 4, 2021. https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/05/border-clash-between-kyrgyzstan-and-tajikistan-risks-spinning-out-control.
2“Kyrgyzstan: Mine Action.” Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, November 12, 2018. http://www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2019/kyrgyzstan/mine-action.aspx.
3See AMAP Dataset.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the beginning of data collection in 1979 by the Small Arms Survey, no accidental explosion was reported in Kyrgyzstan.
Source: Small Arms Survey. n.d. Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS). Database.
Cases of diversion
Some cases of diversion have been reported since 2000 in Kyrgyzstan.
Table 1: Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition, and explosives in Kyrgyzstan since 2000
| Year | Location | Description |
| 2010 | N/A | At least 1,200 weapons and ammunition were stolen from an undisclosed location. |
| 2003 | Jalalabad | Ten people entered the Jalalabad OVD offices and stole some around 20 Kalashnikov automatic rifles, more than ten Makarov and Stetchkin pistols, a Dragunov sniper rifle, and a machine gun. |
2000-2002 | N/A | There were seven registered incidents of large-scale theft of firearms by military personnel. |
Source: “At Least 1,200 Weapons Stolen in 2010 in Kyrgyzstan.” 24.kg, February 12, 2019. https://24.kg/english/108992__At_least_1200_weapons_stolen_in_2010_in_Kyrgyzstan/. MacFarlane, Neil, and Stina Torjesen. « Small Arms in Kyrgyzstan: A Small Arms Anomaly in Central Asia? » Occasional Paper 12 published by the Small Arms Survey in February 2004. https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/Small-Arms-Survey-2004-Chapter-10-EN.pdf
Disposal
To decrease the above-mentioned risks of accidental explosions and diversion, Kyrgyzstan has continuously disposed of its ammunition since 2016.
Table 2. Disposal of tonnes of ammunition in Kyrgyzstan (2016-2021)
| Year | Tonnes of Ammunition |
| 2016 | 100 |
| 2017 | 290 |
| 2018 | 376 |
| 2019 | 508 |
| 2020 | 200 |
| 2021 | 361 |
Sources: US Department of State. “To Walk the Earth in Safety.” Reports from 2017 to 2022.
Needs
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following need has been identified for Kyrgyzstan:
- Development or refinement of standards and procedures on stockpile management
Source: PoA Report 2018, Kyrgyzstan. Please note that PoA reports focus on SALW and not specifically on ammunition. https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/KGZ-Russian-70-SUBMITTED.pdf
