The internet was restored and life was gradually returning to normal on Monday in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, following a week of riots and a relentless crackdown that left dozens of people dead in the largest country in Central Asia.
In the economic capital of 1.8 million people, where the most violent riots took place, local and foreign websites were once more accessible on Monday, declared a day of mourning following the worst unrest in the independent history of the former soviet republic. And public transport was visible on the roads of Almaty for the first time since the start of the violence, AFP correspondents noted.
Kazakhstan has presented the riots in Almaty as an attack by “terrorist groups” and expressed dissatisfaction with the foreign media coverage of the events, which began with protests once morest fuel price hikes in the west of the country on January 2. .
On Sunday evening, the information ministry withdrew a report published earlier today on an official Telegram channel, according to which more than 164 people had died in the country in the violence.
– “Technical error” –
He explained to two private websites that its dissemination was the result of a “technical error”. However, there was no new assessment.
The death toll of 164, which might not be independently verified, is rising sharply, with authorities so far reporting 26 protesters and 16 members of the security forces killed and more than 2,000 injured.
In a statement to the press on Monday, the foreign ministry said foreign media reports created “the false impression that the government of Kazakhstan is targeting peaceful protesters. Our security forces have faced crowds. violent acts who committed shameless acts of terror “.
The presidency announced Sunday that 5,800 people had been arrested, including “a substantial number of foreigners”, and 125 investigations opened in the wake of these riots unprecedented since the independence, in 1989, of this country of 19 million. inhabitants rich in hydrocarbons.
The protest began in the provinces following the increase in gas prices, before reaching large cities, including Almaty, where the police fired live ammunition at demonstrators storming official buildings.
According to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, the material damage caused by the violence was initially estimated at around 175 million euros.
More than 100 businesses and banks were looted and more than 400 vehicles destroyed, according to the same source.
Kazakhstan announced on Saturday the arrest of the former director of intelligence services, Karim Massimov, the first major figure arrested, on suspicion of “high treason”.
– “Shoot to kill” –
Refusing any dialogue with the demonstrators, President Tokayev had authorized his forces on Friday to “shoot to kill”.
Condemning the order, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said Sunday on ABC that “the authorities in Kazakhstan should be able to deal with the challenges they face peacefully, to ensure that the rights of those who demonstrate peacefully be protected “.
Almaty bore the scars of violence on Sunday, with building facades blackened by flames and scorched car wrecks littering the streets.
In addition to the rise in the cost of living, the figure of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who reigned with an iron fist over Kazakhstan from 1989 to 2019, crystallized the anger of the demonstrators.
His spokesperson, Aïdos Oukibaï, once once more denied Sunday that Mr. Nazarbayev left the country, assuring that he supported Mr. Tokayev.
Against the backdrop of rumors of a power struggle, he also said that Nazarbayev had ceded the leadership of the National Security Council on his own initiative to Mr. Tokayev, who had abruptly announced this week that he was taking the reins.
The situation in Kazakhstan is being followed with concern abroad. Pope Francis expressed his “pain” on Sunday and called for “dialogue” to find peace.
Moscow has deployed troops to the Central Asian country as part of a multinational collective security treaty organization (CSTO) contingent, at Tokayev’s call.
The United States said it would be “very difficult” for Kazakhstan to get the Russian military to leave, a criticism Moscow called “crass on Saturday”.
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