The groups range from democratic reformers to Islamic fundamentalists. Regional and ethnic conflicts further complicate the situation. The civil war in Tajikistan is by most accounts the most violent one in the post-breakup Soviet Union. Human rights organizations report that during 1992 and 1993 alone, more than 50,000 people were killed-and the killing goes on. The U.N. High Commission on Refugees estimates that 100,000 Tajikistan residents have been displaced.
Thousands are in Moscow, waiting for refugee status.
Others are in Afghan refugee camps, and hundreds have fled to Iran. The government dumps the blame on the various groups that oppose it. The opponents blame the National Front, a shadowy group that most believe has ties to the government. National Front guerrillas don't talk much. Many of the people being killed now in Tajikistan are Russian soldiers.