Borders are not just territorial lines but instruments of power that regulate mobility, security, and sovereignty. This article examines the evolving politics of border disputes and their resolution in the Fergana Valley, a historically unstable region shared by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Despite recent legal agreements to demarcate state borders, tensions remain over access to water, the management of enclaves, and the control of infrastructure. Drawing on political geography, mediation theory, and peacebuilding, this article argues that demarcation of borders does not eliminate disputes but reshapes them through new forms of exclusion and securitization. Using a synthesis of case analysis and theoretical literature, the study shows the extent to which Central Asia’s borders continue to be shaped by historical traumas, geopolitical dependencies, and resource interdependencies. This article contributes to debates on territorial governance, conflict transformation, and post-settlement dynamics by emphasizing that sustainable peace requires not only legal clarity but also integrative, relational approaches to sovereignty and spatial coexistence.
BT - Connections: The Quarterly Journal DA - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.23.3.02 IS - 3 N2 -Borders are not just territorial lines but instruments of power that regulate mobility, security, and sovereignty. This article examines the evolving politics of border disputes and their resolution in the Fergana Valley, a historically unstable region shared by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Despite recent legal agreements to demarcate state borders, tensions remain over access to water, the management of enclaves, and the control of infrastructure. Drawing on political geography, mediation theory, and peacebuilding, this article argues that demarcation of borders does not eliminate disputes but reshapes them through new forms of exclusion and securitization. Using a synthesis of case analysis and theoretical literature, the study shows the extent to which Central Asia’s borders continue to be shaped by historical traumas, geopolitical dependencies, and resource interdependencies. This article contributes to debates on territorial governance, conflict transformation, and post-settlement dynamics by emphasizing that sustainable peace requires not only legal clarity but also integrative, relational approaches to sovereignty and spatial coexistence.
PY - 2024 SE - 27 SP - 27 EP - 46 T2 - Connections: The Quarterly Journal TI - Beyond Borders: Conflict Mediation and Governance in Central Asia's Fergana Valley VL - 23 SN - 1812-1098 ER -