Day of National Unity (Tajikistan) – June 27, 2026

History of Day of National Unity (Tajikistan)

In Tajikistan, a fight erupted in May 1992 between factions from various parts of the nation. People from Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan rioted against President Rahmon Nabiyev’s prior cabinet — which was largely influenced by the Khujand and Kulob areas. A five-year civil war erupted as a result of the struggle between the regions.

In the south of the country, Russian border guards supported the government — which mainly consisted of the former Soviet ruling elite. The opposition was led by the later called “United Tajik Opposition”— composed of liberal democratic reformers and Islamists. During the war, it’s estimated that 20,000 to 100,000 people were killed and a good percentage of the population had to relocate within the country. In September 1992, former leader Rahmon Nabiyev was forced to resign from the presidency by opposition protesters and in December 1992 a new government was elected by the parliament, and Emomali Rahmon was now the representative of Tajikistan.

However, the conflict continued for four more years, supported by groups in adjacent countries, like Afghanistan. The peak of the war was during 1992 and 1993, the first two years of conflict when Kulobi militias committed murders, mass killings, burnings of villages, and expulsed people from the regions of Pamiri and Garmi to Afghanistan. The civil war only ended with the peace treaty signed on June 27 1997 by President Emomali Rahrom. On this day, the people of Tajikistan celebrate the Day of National Unity, declared a work-free holiday in 1998.