Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 11:32:39 +0300 (BEAUT)
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Subject: CENTRAL ASIA: IRIN News Briefs  [2001122]
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CENTRAL ASIA: IRIN News Briefs, 21 November

CONTENTS:

AFGHANISTAN: Taliban denies refugees entry to Pakistan
TAJIKISTAN: President agrees to improve border security


AFGHANISTAN: Taliban denies refugees entry to Pakistan

Despite reports on Monday of border controls between Afghanistan and
Pakistan having been eased, Afghan refugees from war-stricken areas in
northern Afghanistan continue to be denied entry into Pakistan, a UNHCR
official told IRIN on Tuesday. The official said that all new displaced
persons arriving at Torkham border crossing, including potential refugees
seeking asylum in Pakistan, had been sent back by security personnel of
the Taliban Islamic movement, which now controls up to 95 percent of
Afghanistan. 

The UNHCR official said that, despite reports of an easing of border
controls by Pakistan, an effective ban on new arrivals was still in force.
"There is a screening procedure in operation by the Taliban authorities
that identifies and turns away new arrivals," the source said. Pakistan,
which hosts over 1.2 million registered Afghan refugees and has accepted
30,000 in the last two months, on 9 November banned the entry of new
refugees, citing economic difficulties and security concerns. 

TAJIKISTAN: President agrees to improve border security

A potential worsening of the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border and
measures which might improve border security were discussed by Tajik
President Emomali Rakhmonov and a senior Director of the Russian Federal
Border Services, ITAR-TASS reported on Monday. The presence of over 10,000
Afghan displaced on neutral islands of the Amu Darya River on the border,
and a deterioration of the security situation had prompted the high-level
meeting, the report said. The Russian General, Nikolay Reznichenko, said
it had been agreed in principle that "if the need arises, more units will
be formed rapidly from among the number of Tajik army servicemen and
Russian officers," it added. 

According to UNHCR in Tajikistan, the Russian border services and local
authorities had maintained cordial relations with relief agencies
conducting assessments of people displaced by fighting between the Taliban
and the opposition Northern Alliance over the border in Afghanistan.
Humanitarian sources told IRIN last week that a small group of internally
displaced Afghans who had approached the border had been sent back by the
Russian border services. 

[ENDS]

[IRIN-Asia: Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail:
irin-cea@ocha.unon.org ]


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