Kazakhstan declared a state of national emergency on January 5 following protests once morest the rise in fuel prices that led to clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings, leaving dozens of deaths on both sides. The Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), made up of six former Soviet countries, will send “peacekeeping forces” to stabilize the situation.
Russia and the ex-Soviet military alliance Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) began deploying troops in Kazakhstan to quell the unrest that has shaken the country for several days and where clashes between the army and protesters leave dozens dead and more than a thousand injured, according to official figures.
The Health Ministry indicated that there were more than a thousand injured, including 62 in intensive care. In addition, 13 members of the security forces died, two of whom were found decapitated, and 353 were injured, according to state television.
The main mission of these forces, made up of Russian, Belarusian, Armenian, Tajik and Kyrgyz troops, will be “the protection of important state and military objectives, support to the agents of the order of Kazakhstan to stabilize the situation and promote their return to the framework of the legality ”, detailed the OTSC, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
The intense clashes in Almaty continued throughout the night, detailed the city police, which referred to an “anti-terrorist operation.” Groups of armed protesters attempted to seize three administrative buildings, the Almaty Police Department and several regional police units, but law enforcement prevented them. They also managed to briefly capture the airport as looting increased.
According to local media, machine gun bursts are heard in the city and on social media users report that both the police, the military and protesters are armed.
The demonstrations broke out on January 2 in response to the increase in prices of liquefied gas, the main automotive fuel used in the Central Asian nation, but led to riots on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Emergency measures
The images released by the media and social networks showed scenes of chaos, with shops looted and some administrative buildings attacked and set on fire in Almaty, the economic capital of the country, while shots of automatic weapons were heard.
Central Bank spokeswoman Oljassa Ramazanova announced the suspension of the work of all financial institutions in the country, where the internet does not work.
Airports in Almaty, the cities of Aktobe and Aktau and the capital Nursultán were not operational on Thursday following the cancellation of flights the day before.
As a result of the chaos, the price of uranium, of which Kazakhstan is one of the world’s leading producers, rose sharply, while the prices of domestic companies plummeted on the London Stock Exchange.
The country is also a center for Bitcoin mining, an activity that is also experiencing a sharp decline.
The Kazakh president on Thursday introduced emergency measures to “stabilize the work of public services, transport and infrastructure,” reinforce the readiness of the security forces and restore the work of banks.
The export of certain types of food was also banned to stabilize prices.
Tokayev said Wednesday that “terrorist gangs” who had “received extensive training abroad” were leading the protests.
“Groups of criminal elements beat our soldiers, humiliate them, drag them naked through the streets, attack women and loot shops,” he said in a televised speech.
Burned buildings
In recent nights, the police had fired stun grenades and tear gas into the crowd, but failed to prevent some administrative buildings from breaking into.
According to media and witnesses on social networks, the protesters went to the city hall and the Almaty presidential residence, among other places, and set them on fire. Five television networks were looted.
On Thursday it was impossible to get a complete picture of the situation in the country. Journalists and witnesses might not be reached online or by phone, both cut off.
The protesters’ anger is directed in particular at 81-year-old former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country from 1989 to 2019 and remains highly influential. He is considered the mentor of the current President Tokayev.
Kazakhstan, the largest of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia and the largest economy in the region, has a large Russian minority and is of crucial economic and geopolitical importance to Russia.
Moscow called on Wednesday for the crisis to be resolved through dialogue “and not with street riots and breaking the laws.”
The United States and the European Union called for “restraint” from all parties.
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