OSCE course helps Tajik border troops improve skills for securing the Tajik-Afghan border

On 15 September 2023, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (the Office) in co-operation with Tajikistan’s Border Troops concluded a one-month training course “Sustaining Field Operational Capacities” (SFOC). The course was conducted by a national expert and supported by assistant instructors from the Tajik Border Troops, leveraging local expertise while fostering sustainable internal training capacities.   

Twenty-four officers from the Special Units of Tajikistan’s Border Troops were able to improve skills relevant to their vital mission of securing the 1,374 km-long Tajik-Afghan border. The course which was held in the Border Troops Regional Training Facility in Khorog (GBAO) covered a range of topics including map reading, land navigation, pathfinding, reconnaissance and security operations and reporting, first aid, night observation, alpine/mountaineering, gender and human rights-sensitive border security operations, and risk assessment. The participants were also introduced to Google Earth Pro geospatial mapping and analysis software to help plan tactical-level border security operations.  

On 8 September 2023, Jon Casey, the project manager responsible for SFOC accompanied Jukka Tuononen, the OSCE Officer in Charge and Head of the Politico-Military Department, and Lillian Langford, Policy Support Officer at the OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre in Vienna to visit the Regional Training Facility and observe the ongoing training. The delegation highlighted the importance of practical skills training such as is taught in SFOC in building the capacity of the Tajik Border Troops; and the importance of strengthening the Tajik border as essential for the overall security of Central Asia and the OSCE Region.   

To date, 689 officers of the Special Units of the Tajik Border Troops have completed the SFOC course since it first began in 2018. Moreover, 72 course graduates have returned to serve as assistant instructors for the SFOC course, helping to conduct internal training on these important skills. SFOC training is conducted within the framework of the 2nd phase of the Project “Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops (PFCB)” financed by France and implemented by the Office. The course is part of the Office’s multi-year efforts to support Tajikistan’s border security response capabilities.