The Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program is a proposed electric power transmission link intended to supply Afghanistan with power from other Central Asian countries[1] as well as interconnecting the ten separate power grids within Afghanistan.[2] It is unofficially known as TUTAP, which stands for the names of the countries involved: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The project was approved by the Asian Development Bank on 15 December 2015.[3]

A decision to reroute the project through Salang Pass, rather than Bamyan Province, led to a protest by Hazara people, organising as the Enlightenment Movement, who felt that this decision would continue the long-term discrimination against Hazaras.[1] On 23 July 2016, this protest was bombed, killing at least 80 people and injuring 260.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "What's behind Afghan power project protests?", BBC Monitoring, 2016-05-16, accessed 2016-07-24
  2. ^ "TUTAP Energy Project Sparks Political Infighting in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, 2016-05-10, accessed 2016-07-24
  3. ^ "Afghanistan: Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program (Formerly Multitranche Financing Facility II: Energy Development 2014-2023)", Asian Development Bank, accessed 2016-07-24
  4. ^ 'Isis claims responsibility for Kabul bomb attack on Hazara protesters', "The Guardian", 2016-7-24, accessed 2016-7-24
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