The events that shook the autonomous Gorno-Badakhshan region in eastern Tajikistan in July shed light on the internal fragility of some of Afghanistan’s neighbors, and the need to better assess the real sources of instability in Central Asia. The Tajik government often posits that it is fighting Islamic insurgents from Afghanistan, mostly foreigners belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and allies of the Taliban. But many observers reject this argument. Popular resentment against the central government has grown in magnitude over recent years, driving the revival of the type of separatist and autonomist tendencies that pushed the country into civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Tajik state loses control of parts of the country during the summer, but still manages to restore order through the exercise of violence. The capabilities of the Tajik army and security services are therefore destined to become a crucial factor in the stability (or lack thereof) of Emomali Rakhmon’s regime in coming years.