Uzbek Ministry Official To Run Volatile Eastern Region

October 13, 2006 18:30 GMT

(RFE/RL) October 13, 2006 -- A press release posted on official Uzbek websites says President Islam Karimov today appointed Ahmad Usmonov governor of the eastern Andijon region.

Karimov's motivations for dismissing the previous governor are unclear. The independent uzmetronom.com website says General Usmonov is a career police officer who until recently was running the Interior Ministry's Nomogon regional branch.

Andijon last year witnessed a major popular uprising that prompted a violent government reaction that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

(press-service.uz, press-info.uz, uzmetronom.net)

Andijon Anniversary Conference

Violence in Andijon, Uzbekistan, on May 14, 2005 (epa)

TALKING ABOUT ANDIJON: On May 9, 2006, RFE/RL, the National Endowment for Democracy, and U.S.-based human rights organizations cohosted a conference on the May 2005 events in Andijon and their aftermath in Uzbekistan and throughout the region. The first panel featured Andijon eyewitness GALIMA BUKHARBAEVA, National Endowment for Democracy Fellow NOZIMA KAMALOVA, RFE/RL Central Asia analyst DANIEL KIMMAGE, and others. The second panel featured presentations by U.S. Senator JOHN MCCAIN and U.S. Congressman CHRISTOPHER SMITH, who used the forum to announce they had introduced legislation calling for sanctions and other measures against the government of President Islam Karimov.

LISTEN

Listen to the Andijon conference.
Part One (70 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
Part Two (60 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
The Uzbek government's response:
Real Audio Windows Media

THE COMPLETE STORY: A dedicated webpage bringing together all of RFE/RL's coverage of the events in Andijon, Uzbekistan, in May 2005 and their continuing repercussions.

CHRONOLOGY

For an annotated timeline of the Andijon events and their repercussions, click here.

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