A senior US official has called for an impartial international inquiry into the violence in Kyrgyzstan last month.
Speaking at a press conference in Bishkek, US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Eric P Schwartz, said a complete accounting of the events in southern Kyrgyzstan in July would serve not only the interests of justice but also of reconciliation in the country.
"I discussed with officials the importance of an impartial international inquiry into the events of the last month. The United States has supported such an inquiry and we look forward to further discussions with officials on this issue," said Mr Schwartz after coming back from the south of Kyrgyzstan.
A delegation of UN and US officials visited southern Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, June 30, to assess the needs of hundreds of thousands of people who had to flee from ethnic violence last month.
"First on the whole, we are proud to be the largest donor to major international humanitarian organisations that are operating here in Kyrgyzstan, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Program and the International Committee of the Red Cross", said the US envoy during the news conference.
"And second, beyond our general contributions to these organisations we are providing well over thirty million dollars in new funding that will be focused on addressing the current crisis."
Hundreds killed
Political and ethnic tension, culminating two weeks ago in an outbreak of violence between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the volatile south killed hundreds of people.
Parts of Kyrgyzstan's second city, Osh, are in ruins.
The violence began on June 10, triggered by attacks in Osh by unidentified individuals in balaclavas. The official toll is 294, but some estimates say up to 2,000 might have died.
Both Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, who have a roughly equal share of the population in the south, have said they suffered sustained attacks. Many victims were shot, but others, including women and children, were burned inside their homes. Homes were daubed in paint to identify the ethnicity of the residents.
The United Nations estimated that 400,000 people fled.
About a quarter crossed into Uzbekistan, which shares a border with Kyrgyzstan. Most of the refugees have since returned.
International help
Also speaking at the press conference, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres pledged to mobilise international efforts to help Kyrgyzstan.
"I would say that especially now, after the referendum with its results, it's essential to mobilise massively international solidarity to Kyrgyzstan," he said.
"This is a moment for all actors, first of all national actors, but also the international ones that are true friends Kyrgyzstan to engage actively in order to make sure that this kind of violence does not occur again. Never again."
Antonio Guterres has called on the international world community to develop common assistance program for Kyrgyzstan to help guarantee safety and stability in this country.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees came to Kyrgyzstan with a working trip during which he visited Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh and some villages in the Osh region.
