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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday announced the gradual withdrawal of peacekeeping forces after the violence that hit the territory.
Riots broke out earlier this month amid protests against rising fuel prices
AFP
The troops led by Moscow and deployed in Kazakhstan after serious riots will start to leave the country. “The main mission of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) peacekeeping forces has ended successfully,” Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev said at an official meeting. “The phasing out of the unified CSTO contingent will begin in two days. This process will not take more than ten days, ”he continued.
Last week, Kazakhstan was hit by violence never seen since its independence in 1991 when the USSR broke up. They killed dozens and injured hundreds, prompting the express deployment of peacekeeping troops. These mostly Russian soldiers were deployed as part of a military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which unites several former Soviet republics under the leadership of Moscow.
On Monday, the Kazakh president clarified that this force consisted of 2,030 soldiers and 250 vehicles, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin confirming that his soldiers were there “for a limited period”. The riots in Kazakhstan, described as a terrorist attack by the authorities, began with demonstrations against rising fuel prices, against a background of deteriorating living standards.
On Tuesday, Kazakh MPs overwhelmingly approved the appointment of a new prime minister, Alikhan Smailov, appointed on an interim basis after the government resigned during the unrest last week.
(AFP)