Almaty Rioting in Kazakhstan’s economic metropolis Almaty has reportedly resulted in dozen deaths. People tried to storm various police buildings on Thursday night, the Kazakh television station Khabar 24 quoted a spokesman for the Interior Ministry as reported by the Russian state agency Tass. “Dozens of attackers were eliminated”. Their identities are now being determined.
The websites of the Kazakh media could not be reached from abroad in the morning either. The exact location was therefore unclear.
So far, the authorities had officially confirmed eight killed police officers and soldiers. So far, there has been no information on civilian deaths. The military intervened last night. Since then, operations have been going on against demonstrators in various parts of the city of Almaty in Central Asia, who are also reported to be armed. Residents have been asked to stay in safe places and avoid streets.
The trigger for the biggest wave of protests in years was resentment at the significantly higher fuel prices at the petrol stations in the oil- and gas-rich ex-Soviet republic with more than 18 million inhabitants. They turned into protests critical of the government.
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On Thursday night, the dispatch of foreign soldiers to Kazakhstan by a Russian-led military alliance fueled 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. According to the Interfax news agency, the police said that several troublemakers had been “eliminated”.
The US and EU called for moderation on all sides and called for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Trigger: Expensive energy
The mass protests against the sharp rise in fuel prices in Kazakhstan turned into violent unrest on Wednesday. According to media reports, protesters stormed the president’s residence in Almaty and set fire there, and the main administrative building with the mayor’s office was also on fire.
The picture from the Russian news agency Tass shows security forces who were deployed on Thursday in a so-called anti-terrorist operation to end mass unrest.
(Photo: dpa)
President Tokayev announced in a televised address “maximum severity” 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 people in the Kazakh metropolis fight against economic inequality – and an authoritarian state.
(Photo: imago images / ITAR-TASS)
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.
Kazakhstan government resigns after violent protests
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 protests were triggered by the increased energy prices.
(Photo: Reuters)
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.
The riots have spread to several cities in the country.
(Photo: imago images / ITAR-TASS)
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