Taliban Has Not Acted Against IMU, Says Research Report
A new report by the research institute ACAPS has highlighted several issues affecting relations between the Taliban and Uzbekistan.
A new report by the research institute ACAPS has highlighted several issues affecting relations between the Taliban and Uzbekistan.
The report states that the Taliban has not taken decisive action against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which operates in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan considers the IMU a national security threat.
In April 2023, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which includes Uzbekistan, raised concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. A joint CIS statement warned that organisations such as ISIS, al-Qaeda, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army, Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah, and the IMU continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
The ACAPS report, published on Friday, also noted Uzbekistan’s concerns over the Taliban’s construction of the Qosh Tepa water canal in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban has invested heavily in the project, which diverts water from the Amu River to Balkh, Jowzjan, and Faryab provinces.
ACAPS warned that disputes over the Amu River’s water management could escalate once the canal is completed. In September 2023, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned that the canal could alter Central Asia’s water balance. He stated that Afghanistan, as a new consumer, has no obligations toward neighbouring countries.
The report also discussed the Taliban’s demand for the return of Afghan military helicopters taken to Uzbekistan and later transferred to the United States. Uzbek media previously reported that seven Black Hawk helicopters, originally used by the former Afghan army, were sent to the U.S. The Pentagon determined they could be repurposed.
Following the transfer, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence condemned the move as “unacceptable” and called on the U.S. to return the helicopters to Afghanistan.
