Eyewitnesses had previously reported clashes and gunfire in the center of Almaty. The beleaguered government had also requested “peacekeepers” from Russia and its allies.
The organization of the collective security treaty will send peacekeeping troops to Kazakhstan’s request, wrote the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday night on Facebook. Pashinyan is the current chairman of the alliance. The US, meanwhile, called for a peaceful settlement of the protests in the Central Asian country.
The soldiers should be deployed for a limited period of time “to stabilize and normalize the situation in the country,” it said. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had previously asked the military alliance for help. The riots that broke out over the weekend are “not a threat, but an undermining of the integrity of the state,” he said.
Tokayev said the “terrorist groups” behind the protests were being trained “abroad”. CSTO President Pashinyan also stated that the unrest had been triggered by “outside interference”. In Russia, allegations had previously been made that the United States played a role in the protests. US government spokeswoman Jen Psaki dismissed this as “absolutely wrong” and “clearly part of the Russian script for disinformation”.
Internet apparently switched off
The authorities apparently switched off the Internet in the country again to weaken the protest movement. The websites of the Presidential Office and other government agencies were just as unreachable on Thursday night as those of airports and police authorities, reported the Russian state agency Tass. In the metropolis of Almaty there is a complete internet failure. As early as Wednesday, the Internet had been switched off for hours in the authoritarian country – presumably to make it more difficult to organize new meetings via social media.
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.
Russia signals support
The chairman of the Russian State Duma committee responsible for affairs of former Soviet republics, Leonid Kalashnikov, had already signaled his support. Russia was obliged to help, for which the alliance was founded, he told the Russian news agency Interfax. The alliance includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called for a peaceful solution on Wednesday. Problems would have to be resolved “within the framework of constitutional and legal provisions and through dialogue and not through unrest in the streets”. “We hope for a quick normalization of the situation,” it said.
USA calls for a peaceful settlement
The US State Department also 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.
Experts saw Tokayev’s cry 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.
Displeasure because of significantly increased prices
The unprecedented protests in Kazakhstan broke out out of displeasure at the significantly higher prices for liquefied gas at filling stations. Many Kazakhs use this gas because it is cheaper than gasoline. Many demonstrators also directed their displeasure against the government and blamed them for their poor living conditions because everyday life was becoming more expensive due to high inflation.
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.
Source: Nachrichten
