Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told parliament on Tuesday that the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military bloc will start withdrawing its troops from Kazakhstan in two days.
“The main mission of the CSTO peacekeeping forces has been successfully completed,” Tokayev said during a session broadcast live on state television.
“In two days a phased withdrawal of the CSTO united peacekeeping contingent will begin. The withdrawal process of the contingent will take no more than 10 days,” he said.
This comes after nearly a week of unrest, by far the worst violence in the 30-year independent history of the former Soviet state.
A mission of more than 2,000 troops and military hardware was deployed at the peak of the crisis last week amid concerns that Moscow would use the presence of its forces to shore up its influence in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan’s new government
The president on Tuesday also nominated candidates for government posts, including that of the prime minister.
He picked acting prime minister Alikhan Smailov to take on the job permanently, and Kazakhstan’s lower house swiftly voted to confirm his nomination with unanimous support.
Smailov, 49, served as deputy prime minister in the cabinet dismissed last week by Tokayev.
A week of violent unrest
Government buildings in several cities were briefly captured or set alight after protests escalated.
Dozens of people were killed in clashes between protesters and government forces in what Tokayev called an attempted coup d’etat coordinated by “a single center.”
Troops were ordered to shoot to kill to put down the unrest that grew out of a peaceful protest against an energy price hike in the west of the country.
Security forces have detained 9,900 people since the crisis began in the oil-rich Central Asian nation, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
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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
adi/rt (Reuters, AFP)
Kazakhstan: Russia-led troops to start leaving in 2 days
Source:
Pinoy Pop News
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