State Border Guard Service

Last updated
State Border Guard Service
Мамлекеттик Чегaра Кызматы
Государственная пограничная служба Киргизии
Mamlekettik Cheghara Qyzmaty
Kyrgyzstan Border Service.svg
Emblem of the State Border Guard Service
Kyrgyzstan Border Service Flag Obverse.svg
The Russian language banner of the State Border Guard Service
Agency overview
FormedAugust 31, 2002 (2002-08-31)
Preceding agency
Employees6,800
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction Kyrgyzstan
Specialist jurisdiction
  • National border patrol, security, and integrity.
Operational structure
Headquarters720005, Kyrgyz Republic, G. Bishkek, O. Mederov Street, 163
Agency executive
Parent agency State Committee for National Security
Website
www.gps.gov.kg

The Border Guard Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic also commonly known as the Kyrgyz Frontier Force is the border guard of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is currently a Public Service department of the government of the republic and is not part of any ministries.

Contents

History

Upon its independence in 1992, Kyrgyzstan took command over the former Soviet Republic's directorate of the KGB's Central Asian Border Troops District which was part of the wider Soviet Border Troops, that numbered at about 2,000 mostly Russian troops. However in late 1992, Russia established a joint Kyrgyzstani-Russian Border Troop Command, which effectively brought the border protection responsibilities under Russian command again. [1] The borders of Kyrgyzstan with post-Soviet states were thus mostly unguarded as the Russian Border Troops mostly concentrated on guarding the borders facing countries such as Afghanistan and China. In August 1999, the duties of border protection was finally transferred from the Border Guard Service of Russia to the Kyrgyzstani government, which would eventually set the basis for the future State Border Guard Service and the tightening of its borders with the neighbouring countries.

On 31 August 2002, the State Border Guard Service of the Kyrgyz Republic was officially established from a merger of the Main Border Guard Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and the Main Directorate of Border Control of the National Security Service, so as to have a more centralised system. Over the subsequent few years, the border guard service would be transferred to and removed from the command of the National Security Service for several times by presidential decree till on 4 September 2012, it was permanently established as an independent Public Service department within the government of the Kyrgyz Republic. Despite the similarities in the scope of work covered, the service is not under the command of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the republic, neither is it part of the military of Kyrgyzstan. In 2020, President Sadyr Japarov put it under the State Committee for National Security. [2]

Since the independence of the republic, it has had many disagreements and even confrontations with the border services of neighbouring countries, including those of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. [3] Several land border crossings with neighbouring countries have also not been consistently opened as a result. The border guard service has also because of the disagreements, taken steps to train and upgrade itself. For example in 2013, the border service took part in a joint military drill with China on the two countries' borders. Additionally it has also requested and received training and equipment from China and Turkey. [4] In December 2021, the border services received Bayraktar TB2 UAV from Turkey. [5]

Commanders

Special Forces of the Border Service

The "Boru" Special Forces of the Border Service are deployed in the south of the republic and provide support to outposts on the border with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, from where drug trafficking from Afghanistan occurs.

The name "Boru" ("Wolf") was given to the special-purpose units of the service in March 2007, after which the servicemen also received identification marks in the form of an emblem on their uniforms and stripes on a beret. The emblem is made in the form of a round shield, in the center of which is the head of a wolf. To the left and right of it are red five-pointed stars and at the top, the circle is framed by the inscription "Boru" while the bottom has the phrase "Special Forces of the Border Guard Service" in the Kyrgyz language. [7]

Responsibilities

As the border guard of the Kyrgyz Republic, its primary duty is to protect the territorial integrity of the republic by ensuring that all the borders of the republic are not compromised, be it by other nation states or criminal elements. The border guard does so by deploying troops to patrol and monitor its borders at all times by varying means. A combination of high altitude, rough terrain and an usually high number of exclaves in the republic makes border policing even more difficult. [8] Its secondary role is to assist in immigration formalities at all entry and exit checkpoints in the country, including those at land border crossings and airports. It works together with the State Customs Service in customs formalities too.

Border Guards Day

Border Guards Day is a holiday celebrated in the republic by active and ex-servicemen of the border guard service. The holiday has its roots from the Soviet times and is still celebrated on May 28. The day is set for the public to also pay tribute and understand the importance of the border guard service in the republic. The date of the holiday was shifted to October 29 in 2003 but due to appeals from the veterans of the service, was shifted back to its original date from 2005. [9]

Incidents

On 20 August 2012, at the Echilitash frontier outpost that served as the Issyk-Kul border units command headquarters, 19-year-old Kyrgyz border guard Kulbarak Balbai in a state of desertion fired at his fellow servicemen with a rifle instantly killing four; the outpost commander, senior soldier, warrant officer and junior soldier. A fifth visiting civilian wife of one of the guards was also killed as a result of the gunfire. The three other Kyrgyz guards who occupied the border crossing outpost fled in a car upon hearing the shooting take place in the main building. Kulbarak later fled the scene in a stolen car and was confronted in a nearby gorge the next day while attempting to defect to Uzbekistan. A firefight ensued between police officials and the gunman, eventually leading to Kulbarak's death. [10] The motive although unknown is believed to be "hazing", which is the bullying of younger servicemen.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic</span> Military of Kyrgyzstan

The Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic is the national military of Kyrgyzstan. It was originally formed from the former Soviet forces of the Turkestan Military District stationed in newly independent Kyrgyzstan. It consists of the Ground Forces, the Air Force and the National Guard. Affiliated security forces to the armed forces included the Internal Troops, the State Committee for National Security and the Border Troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan</span> Combined military forces of the republic of Tajikistan

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan, also known as the Tajik National Army is the national military of the Republic of Tajikistan. It consists of Ground Forces, Mobile Forces, and the Air Force, with closely affiliated forces including the national guard, border and internal troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan</span> Combined military forces of the Uzbekistan

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is the name of the unified armed forces of Uzbekistan, consisting of the Ground Force and the Air and Air Defence forces under the defence ministry. Paramilitary units include the National Guard, a Frontier Service and a River Force. It is reported to be the largest, and the strongest in Central Asia. 'The country [has] also began professionalizing its military, an effort that has only limited success and erratic government support. But even in Uzbekistan, these changes represent merely a modest beginning and most of the benefits are concentrated in a few elite, higher readiness formations rather than uniformly applied to the entire force. The Uzbek military is woefully inadequate, but it is far superior to its neighbours.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrgyzstan</span> Country in Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan(Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан, Russian: Киргизия, Киргизстан,In the Russian-language duplicate of the Kyrgyz constitution - Кыргызстан), or the Kyrgyz Republic(Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Республикасы, Russian: Киргизская Республика, In the Russian-language duplicate of the Kyrgyz constitution - Кыргызская Республика), is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batken Region</span> Region of Kyrgyzstan

Batken Region is a region (oblus) of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Batken. It is bounded on the east by Osh Region, on the south, west and north by Tajikistan, and on the northeast by Uzbekistan. The northern part of the region is part of the flat, agricultural Ferghana Valley. The land rises southward to the mountains on the southern border: the Alay Mountains in the east, and the Turkestan Range in the west. Its total area is 17,048 km2 (6,582 sq mi). The resident population of the region was 548,247 as of January 2021. The region has sizeable Uzbek and Tajik minorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osh Region</span> Region of Kyrgyzstan

Osh Region is a region (oblast) of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh, which is not part of the region. It is bounded by (clockwise) Jalal-Abad Region, Naryn Region, China (Xinjiang), Tajikistan, Batken Region, and Uzbekistan. Its total area is 28,934 km2 (11,171 sq mi). The resident population of the region was 1,391,649 as of January 2021. The region has a sizeable Uzbek minority.

Terrorism in Tajikistan stems largely from the forces of the political opposition who opposed the comprehensive peace agreement that ended the civil war in 1997. President Emomali Rahmonov and UTO leader Said Abdullah Nuri signed the agreement on 27 June, believing it would bring an end to hostilities. However, dissident Islamist militants led by Tohir Yo‘ldosh and Juma Namangani formed the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in 1998, allying with Al-Qaeda and vowing to unite Central Asia as an Islamic state. The latest terror attacks took place in the Qabodiyon District on November 6, 2019, when a policeman and a border guard were killed by several Islamic State militants. 15 terroristi were also killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vorukh</span> Jamoat in Sughd Region, Tajikistan

Vorukh is a jamoat in northern Tajikistan. It is an exclave surrounded by Kyrgyzstan that forms part of the city of Isfara in Sughd Region. As of 2015, the jamoat had a total population of 30,506.

Barak is a Kyrgyz village that is surrounded by the territory of Uzbekistan. Its de facto status as one of the world's 91 current international enclaves began in 1999. Administratively it is part of Kara-Suu District in Kyrgyzstan's Osh Region. It is encircled by the Andijan Region of Uzbekistan. Its population was 985 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajik Border Troops</span>

The Border Troops, also called the Border Service, is the border security force of Tajikistan. Functioning under the State Committee for National Security as part of the Armed Forces, the border guards are trained by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, along with the Afghan Border Police. A higher education college is located in the capital, Dushanbe, the Border Troops Academy, and a Border Troops Training Centre is located south of it, in the Rudaki District. The main control station of the border troops is the Border Management Center of the Main Border Guard Directorate of the SCNS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soʻx District</span> District in Fergana Region, Uzbekistan

Soʻx District is a district of Uzbekistan's Fergana Region. It consists of two exclaves of Uzbekistan, surrounded by Kyrgyzstan. Despite being part of Uzbekistan, its population is almost entirely ethnic Tajiks. Its capital is the town of Ravon. It has an area of 220 km2 (85 sq mi) and it has 80,600 inhabitants as of 2022. The district consists of seven urban-type settlements and four rural communities. Another village in the district is Limbur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taalaibek Omuraliev</span> Kyrgyz major general

Taalaibek Baryktabasovich Omuraliev is a Kyrgyz major general and a former Minister of Defense of Kyrgyzstan. He also served briefly as the Chief of the General Staff twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Guards Day</span> Holiday in former Soviet Union

Border Guards Day, also known as Frontier Guards Day is a former Soviet holiday that celebrates the border guard services of Russia and former Soviet republics. It is currently observed in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on 28 May - the anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Border Troops in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border</span> International border

The border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is 984 kilometres (611 mi) long and runs from the tripoint with Uzbekistan to the tripoint with China.

The State Committee for National Security is the national agency responsible for intelligence on counter terrorism and organised crime in Kyrgyzstan. In carrying out this task, it carries out both preventive and investigative measures against organized terrorism and crime. The chairman of the UKMK is a military officer and a member of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan. It is currently based on 70 Erkindik Street, Bishkek.

This is a list of individuals and events related to Tajikistan in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes</span> 2021–2022 conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

A three-day border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan began on 28 April 2021. The clashes stemmed from a long-running dispute over a water supply facility near the village of Kök-Tash. Tajik media raised some concern over military drills in Batken prior to the conflict.

This is a list of individuals and events related to Kyrgyzstan in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes</span> 2022 conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

A series of sporadic border clashes resumed between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on 27 January 2022, following a series of clashes in 2021 between the two countries.

This is a list of individuals and events related to Tajikistan in 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Hays, Jeffrey. "MILITARY IN KYRGYZSTAN: WEAPONS, TROOPS, POLICY Facts and Details". factsanddetails.com. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  2. ↑ DZHUMASHOVA, Aida (2020-11-13). "Border Service of Kyrgyzstan joins State Committee for National Security". 24.kg. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Uzbekistan's Frontier Service: Kyrgyzstan aggravates situation in Sokh enclave". 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  4. ↑ "15 Anniversary of the Border Service". 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  5. ↑ Tayfur, Nazir Aliyev (2021-12-18). "Kyrgyzstan receives Turkish armed drones". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 2022-03-26.
  6. ↑ "Eurasian Ombudsman Alliance". eoalliance.org. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  7. ↑ ТОКОМБАЕВ, Андрей (2007-03-23). "Спецназ Погранслужбы Кыргызстана получил название и дополнительную символику". 24.kg (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  8. ↑ "Small Exclave Spells Big Problems For Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan". 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  9. ↑ "Border Guard Service History". 2017. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  10. ↑ "Kyrgyz forces kill fugitive border guard after attack". Reuters. 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.