Karakalpakstan

Desert, delta and a vanished sea

Karakalpakstan lies to the south of the Aral Sea, in Uzbekistan’s far west.^[2] Its east is the western half of the Kyzylkum Desert, its middle is the valley and delta of the Amu Darya river, and its west reaches onto the Ustyurt Plateau. Only 75 to 100 mm of rain falls in an average year.^[2]

Farming depends on canals from the Amu Darya, and cotton is the main crop.^[2] By the late 20th century it was one of the areas worst hit by the unsound farming methods of the Soviet period. Over-irrigation and salt dust blowing off the bed of the shrinking Aral Sea had spoiled much of its farmland, and farm chemicals in the soil and river water were a health hazard. As the sea receded, its fisheries disappeared.^[2]

From province to republic

The Karakalpaks are a Turkic people closely related to the Kazakhs. They settled along the Amu Darya in the 18th century and came partly under Russian rule in 1873.^[2]

Soviet planners moved them between republics several times. Karakalpakstan became an autonomous province of the Kazakh republic in 1925, passed to the Russian republic in 1930, and became an autonomous republic in 1932. In 1936 it was placed inside Soviet Uzbekistan, and it stayed part of Uzbekistan when the country became independent in 1991.^[2]

In 1993 Karakalpakstan agreed with the government in Tashkent to stay part of Uzbekistan for at least 20 years, after which it could hold a referendum on leaving. Eurasianet described that deal as “quietly forgotten”.^[4]

What its autonomy means

Uzbekistan’s constitution calls Karakalpakstan a “sovereign republic” that is part of Uzbekistan. It has its own constitution, which must agree with Uzbekistan’s, and Uzbek laws apply on its territory.^[1] Its borders can’t be changed without its consent, and it organises its own districts.^[1]

Its parliament is the Jokargy Kenes. The head of its government sits in Uzbekistan’s cabinet, one deputy chair of the national Senate must come from Karakalpakstan, and its prosecutor is appointed by its own parliament. Courts can work in Karakalpak as well as Uzbek.^[1]

One clause sets it apart: “The Republic of Karakalpakstan shall have the right to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of a nation-wide referendum held by the people of Karakalpakstan.”^[1]

2022: the protests in Nukus

In June 2022 the government published draft amendments to the constitution. Karakalpakstan would keep its autonomy, but the clause giving it the right to secede by referendum would go.^[5][4]

On 1 July thousands of people gathered in Nukus. What began as a peaceful protest turned into clashes with police, who used stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannon, according to witnesses; officials said the crowd tried to seize government buildings.^[4][6] The authorities cut the internet in the region.^[4]

On 2 July President Shavkat Mirziyoyev flew to Nukus and dropped the changes, leaving the articles on Karakalpakstan as they were. He also declared a month-long state of emergency there.^[4][6] The official death toll rose to 21.^[3] In January 2023 a court sentenced 22 people over the unrest; the lawyer Dauletmurat Tajimuratov, accused of leading it, received 16 years.^[3]

The new constitution put to a national referendum on 30 April 2023 kept Karakalpakstan’s status and its right to secede.^[7][1]

“The sovereign Republic of Karakalpakstan is part of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The sovereignty of the Republic of Karakalpakstan shall be protected by the Republic of Uzbekistan.”^[1]