National Guard units in other post-Soviet states, like Russia, have been used to squelch protests. And critics see it as a means for the government to protect its power.
Land ownership is a sensitive issue in Abkhazia. The deal also sparked controversy in Georgia proper, where critics accused the government of closing its eyes to Russian expansion.
Baku has been reforming its armed forces with a new education system, new weaponry, and a big increase in special forces units. And it is all being modeled after Turkey’s military.
Statistics on drug use in Kazakhstan are hard to come by, and the government is more comfortable prosecuting addicts than overseeing their rehabilitation.
Most who fled the area around Parukh, which four months ago saw some of the sharpest fighting since the war in 2020, have returned. But they say it’s become more dangerous.
