Vorukh exclave

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Vorukh is the name of a village and one of two exclaves of Tajikistan within the Batken Province of Kyrgyzstan. There are three Tajik enclaves (including one in Uzbekistan), which were products of several border adjustments during the Stalin regime of the 1920s to 1950s.

Due to the inherent territorial restrictions of the exclave, violent conflicts over land ownership, access to pasture, and shared water resources have become more common, as logistical complications within this densely populated and impoverished region have also given rise to economic concern.

The location of the border of the enclave is disputed by the Tajik and Kyrgyz governments. In April 2013, an argument between Vorukh residents and Kyrgyz labourers escalated into a fight, that ended up involving several hundred people. The conflict started when Vorukh residents objected to the building of a new road that would bypass the enclave. In May 2013 Kyrgyzstan and Tajik officials met to address the ongoing tensions.