ABSTRACT
This chapter provides basic background information for the appraisal of the Tajikistan peace process in the form of a historical overview of the Tajik conflict and an analysis of its nature and causes. Placing special emphasis on the roles played by external actors, the chapter then covers the period from early 1993 until the first round of inter-Tajik negotiations in April 1994. During this prenegotiation period, fighting decreased but did not fully end, and efforts to lay the groundwork for formal negotiations got underway. The chapter also provides a brief account of how the different opposition parties and movements were integrated into a single negotiating entity during this prenegotiation process.
