Almaty The sending of foreign soldiers to Kazakhstan by a Russian-led military alliance is fueling fears of a further escalation of the situation in the former Soviet republic. It was said that the soldiers of the Alliance should be deployed for a limited period of time “to stabilize and normalize the situation in the country”.
However, the Kazakh government sought this help after its own troops used gun violence against demonstrators critical of the government. The US and EU called for moderation on all sides and called for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The mass protests against the drastic rise in fuel prices in Kazakhstan had previously turned into violent unrest. According to media reports, demonstrators stormed the president’s residence in Almaty on Wednesday and set fire there, and the main administrative building with the mayor’s office was also on fire. As reported by the Russian news agency Tass from Kazakhstan, police officers fired at some protesters in front of the presidential residence, but then fled from the crowd.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on the Russian-led military alliance Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO), which promptly announced the dispatch of soldiers – so-called peacekeepers. In addition to Russia and Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also belong to the alliance.
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The chairman of the Russian State Duma committee responsible for affairs of the former Soviet republics, Leonid Kalashnikov, told the Russian news agency Interfax that Russia was obliged to help and that the alliance had been established for this purpose.
Tokayev announced in a televised address “maximum hardship” against “lawbreakers”. He extended a state of emergency already existing for Almaty and the capital Nur-Sultan because of the mass protests to the whole country. A night curfew was imposed in both cities and freedom of movement was restricted there.
Tokayev added that the riots were being led by “terrorist gangs” that had received support from unspecified countries.
The protests were triggered by the increased energy prices.
(Photo: Reuters)
According to the Kazakh authorities, at least eight police officers and soldiers have already been killed. Several Kazakh Telegram channels published videos on Thursday night that are said to show military action against demonstrators in the urban area of the economic metropolis of Almaty. Shot noises can be heard on the recordings and people screaming.
The Kazakh television broadcaster Khabar 24 announced on Thursday morning that security forces would continue to crack down on demonstrators. “The anti-terrorism operation to restore order will continue in Almaty,” it said. The Russian state agency Ria Novosti reported that military vehicles had collected bodies in the city. Banks have also stopped working for the time being.
The Kazakh media had previously reported that the city’s airport, which was occupied by a crowd of protesters and severely damaged, had been “liberated” after several airlines canceled flights to Almaty. According to the Russian space agency Roskosmos, security measures have been strengthened at the Baikonur spaceport.
Kazakhstan: Internet blockade creates unclear information
The information situation is made more difficult by repeated blockages of the Internet in Kazakhstan. The network was shut down for hours on Wednesday – presumably to make new meetings more difficult. Several television stations stopped operating.
On the night of Thursday, the websites of authorities, police and airports were again inaccessible, as the Russian state agency Tass reported. Internet sites such as the state news agency Kazinform and other media were also not available from Germany.
According to Tass, there was a complete internet failure in Almaty, which paralyzed social networks as a central coordination tool for demonstrators. The mobile network in the economic metropolis was also dead.
The US State Department has called on security forces and protesters in Central Asian Kazakhstan for moderation and called for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. “We ask all Kazakhs to respect and defend the constitutional institutions, human rights and freedom of the press, including the restoration of Internet access,” said the spokesman for the ministry, Ned Price, on Wednesday. The US urged all parties to find a peaceful solution to the state of emergency, Price said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called for a peaceful solution on Wednesday. Problems had to be solved “within the framework of constitutional and legal provisions and through dialogue and not through riots in the streets”. “We hope for a quick normalization of the situation,” it said.
Experts took Tokayev’s call for help as a sign that he could no longer rely on his army. As a consequence of the protests, he had already dismissed the government on Wednesday and threatened to crack down on demonstrators.
The country with more than 18 million inhabitants borders among others with Russia and China. It is rich in oil and gas reserves. The republic is also one of the largest uranium producers in the world. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan is struggling with mismanagement and poverty.
The riots have spread to several cities in the country.
(Photo: imago images / ITAR-TASS)
How many thousands of people took part in the protests was unclear. The internet was shut down – presumably to make new meetings more difficult. Several television stations stopped operating.
On Wednesday, Tokayev addressed the people with a speech. He said: “The situation threatens the safety of all citizens of Almaty. That cannot be tolerated. ”The security forces would act“ as hard as possible ”. The president also spoke of fatalities in the riots.
The protest started over the weekend. The trigger was the significant increase in the prices for liquefied gas at the filling stations. Many Kazakhs use liquefied petroleum gas because it is cheaper than gasoline.
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