Kyrgyzstan had to manage complex systemic changes when, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it embarked on a series of rapid social, economic and political transitions. This paper summarises the main factors that created a conflict-prone society, then analyses the evolution of the 2010 conflict; lastly, it considers the prospects for stability following the return to political processes. The author examines regional and international responses to the Kyrgyz crisis.

Kyrgyzstan, the 2010 Kyrgyz conflict, political development, state management, ethnic communities, parliamentary elections, presidential elections