When Roza Otunbayeva came to power at the head of the Kyrgyz interim government in April, she knew that the road ahead was going to be tough. Her program of constitutional reform, new elections, and a jump-start for the country's stagnating economy would have been difficult even in less uncertain times.
But since the spring, Otunbayeva has been faced with a spate of riots, murders, violent clashes and burning villages in the south of the country, culminating in the flight of an estimated 400,000 Uzbeks and the death of more than 2,000 Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in violent riots over the past few weeks. And it might not be over yet: There are rumors that violence may soon explode in Tokmok and Bishkek in the north.
The potential for destabilizing blowback from April's transfer of power had been evident since Otunbayeva took over from ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The economy has taken a hit, with key industries and sectors directly affected. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayaev banned shipments of uranium from his country -- the world's largest uranium producer -- to a processing factory in Kara Balta. A mining contract between Kentor Gold and Kyrgyzstan-based Aurum Mining has also been frozen until the unrest has subsided. Meanwhile, the tourism industry, frequently identified as a target sector for development, has been reduced to a trickle during the usually busy summer season.