Kazakhstan protests: World leaders urge peaceful resolution

Following days of unrest in the oil rich Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, world leaders have reacted to the deadly protests over gas price hikes.

Russia sent paramilitaries to help suppress the riots overnight and by late Thursday Kazakh authorities said they had regained control of government buildings.

Days after violence began to unfold, world leaders called for calm.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Mass protests hit streets

  Protests were first triggered by a dramatic rise in the price of fuel. Within a matter of days, the unrest spread throughout the oil-and-gas-rich former Soviet republic of 18 million, morphing into a broad, anti-government protest wave.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Leadership under pressure

  To placate protesters, fuel prices were cut. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (pictured above in 2019) on Wednesday dismissed the government. Countrywide protests, however, continue unabated.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Military deployed to Almaty

  President Tokayev has announced a state of emergency, leading to nationwide nighttime curfews, limits to where people may move and a ban on gatherings. Tokayev has also called on the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance, to provide help.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Pent-up anger, large-scale destruction

  On Wednesday, thousands of people stormed the city hall and other government buildings in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s most populous city and commercial center. Several government buildings reportedly went up in flames. Protesters also briefly took control of Almaty airport.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Casualties and fatalities

  According to government reports, at least 18 security offices have been killed. Authorities also say “dozens of attackers” have been “eliminated,” meaning scores of civilians have been killed as well. Over 1,000 people have reportedly been injured. Almost 400 were sent to hospitals around the country for treatment, according to Deputy Health Minister Azhar Guiniyat.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Rare unrest

  Large-scale protests are unusual in Kazakhstan, which remains under authoritarian rule. President Tokayev, who succeeded long-time ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019, faces the gravest crisis of his tenure. The 81-year-old Nazarbayev is said to retain considerable influence in the country, and is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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  In pictures: Kazakhstan protests escalate

  Russian troops dispatched

  Russia has already sent paratroopers (pictured here departing from near Moscow) as part of a wider CSTO peacekeeping mission. Other CSTO member states include Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Authorities have said foreign troops will help protect key state and military sites.

  Author: Philipp Böll

What have world leaders said?

A day after the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Moscow-based alliance of six former Soviet countries, sent troops to Kazakshtan to quell the unrest, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell expressed “great concern” and said “external military assistance” in Kazakhstan evoked “memories of situations to be avoided.”

The White House said it was “closely monitoring” the dispatchment of troops. Washington would be watching for any violations of human rights and “any actions that may lay the predicate for the seizure of Kazakh institutions,” press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi about the state of emergency in place.

Blinken “reiterated the United States’ full support for Kazakhstan’s constitutional institutions and media freedom and advocated for a peaceful, rights-respecting resolution to the crisis.” 

In a statement, the German Foreign Ministry said: “Violent riots are not an acceptable means of political conflict. The use of lethal force against civilians, especially when military forces are deployed, must always be a last resort … The task now is to find a peaceful solution to the situation within the framework of a comprehensive dialogue with all parties involved.”

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said: “People have the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. At the same time, protesters, no matter how angry or aggrieved they may be, should not resort to violence against others.”

A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain was following developments very closely. “We are urging against further escalation and want to see a peaceful resolution,” he said.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for the government and the protesters to “show moderation and open a dialogue.”

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to convey solidarity. Erdogan said he was closely watching developments and hoped the unrest would subside so a new government could be formed.

Erdogan also offered “all forms of technical information and experience,” and discussed the crisis with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

Why is Kazakhstan geostrategically important?

Kazakhstan is a major oil producer and one of the world’s largest producers of uranium. Its daily output is roughly 1.6 million barrels per day. The country has deals with global energy giants.

Oil production at the critical Tengiz oil field was also reduced Thursday due to unrest. Train lines were disrupted as some contractors experienced work stoppages carried out in support of the protests.

There are seldom disruptions to the country’s energy exports due to civil unrest or inclement weather.

ar/rt (AFP, Reuters)

Kazakhstan protests: World leaders urge peaceful resolution
Source: Pinoy Pop News