MOSCOW — Chaotic and violent scenes persisted in Kazakhstan Friday, as the first “peacekeeping” troops from a Russia-led military alliance arrived in the Central Asian country, on the back of its beleaguered leader’s request for foreign intervention following widespread and sometimes bloody protests against high energy prices and a decrepit political system.
Wp Get the full experience.Choose your plan ArrowRight
The death toll climbed to at least 26 demonstrators and 18 members of the security forces, according to the government, with some 3,000 people reportedly detained as of early Friday. At least one police officer was found decapitated, the Associated Press reported. (Kazakh authorities have, without evidence, called the dead protesters armed suspects and extremists.)
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Friday morning that his government had “mostly” regained control of the country. “The constitutional order has been basically restored in all regions,” he said in a statement, adding that security operations would continue “until the full elimination of the militants”.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
In recent days, protesters stormed government buildings nationwide and briefly held the Almaty airport. Into Friday, there were reports of hundreds of people assembling in Aktau and Zhanaozen, two cities in Kazakhstan’s oil-rich West. Violent clashes continued in Almaty, the country’s most populous city, where authorities carried out what they called an “antiterrorist operation.”
The largest protests overnight were in Almaty, while there were sporadic demonstrations of up to 3,000 people in other cities. Gunshots and explosions were heard as security forces attempted to clear a major square in Almaty, where there have been repeated clashes with demonstrators. People gathered near a government building with signs such as “We are residents of Almaty, not terrorists.” Later, the Interior Ministry said that the square had been “cleansed” though videos showed heavy gunfire continuing through the night.
“Those who refuse to lay down their arms will be destroyed,” said Saltanat Azirbek, an Almaty police spokeswoman, on Kazakh television, before the operation. Bodies were spotted in central Almaty and only slowly being removed, according to Russian newspaper RBC. People were cautioned against approaching a government building in the square, with troops reportedly firing shots in the air to warn people off.
Chaotic and violent scenes persisted in Kazakhstan’s main city of Almaty on Jan. 6. (Reuters)
Russia’s defense ministry said Friday that 70 planes were involved in transferring units to Kazakhstan “round the clock" and that its troops, alongside Kazakh security forces, had full control of the Almaty airport.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
Earlier, Moscow had posted video footage and photos of the country’s troops preparing to enter its Central Asian neighbor, where anti-government demonstrations are entering a sixth day. Public dissatisfaction that started over high fuel prices has escalated into a major challenge to a political system largely unchanged since the former Soviet state gained independence three decades ago.
Here’s what you need to know about Kazakhstan’s unrest and Russian intervention
After receiving a Wednesday request from Tokayev, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) dispatched some 2,500 peacekeepers to the country, the group’s secretary general told Russian state news agency RIA. Russian troops were on the ground as of Thursday.
Stanislav Zas, the CSTO official, said the forces were there to protect infrastructure — Russia leases a rocket launch site in Kazakhstan — and would not be used to disperse demonstrations.
Moscow has in the past deployed peacekeepers to countries that Russian President Vladimir Putin fears are slipping out of his political orbit, which extends to many former Soviet states. Leaders in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have previously complained that such troops prop up pro-Russian separatist forces.
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, whose troops will be part of the CSTO intervention, told state media Thursday that demonstrators had tried to seize control of major airports in Kazakhstan to block the deployment of the alliance’s forces.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
While the CSTO has long been seen as Russia’s answer to NATO, its first joint action is in reaction to a domestic protest rather than combating an attack from an external force. Kazakhstan and the bloc’s other members have attempted to cast the intervention as a bid to protect the state against “foreign-trained terrorist gangs,” though they have provided no evidence to back the allegations.
The stakes are especially high for Russia, effectively the leader of the alliance, as its presence risks alienating a public that is demanding a change in Kazakhstan’s regime but has yet to show any anti-Russian sentiment. About a fifth of Kazakhstan’s population are ethnic Russians.
The United States is monitoring the Moscow-led deployment and looking out for reports of potential human rights violations, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a Thursday briefing. “We have questions about the nature of this request and whether it … was a legitimate invitation or not. We don’t know at this point,” she said.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
“External military assistance brings back memories of situations to be avoided,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief, in a tweet. “Rights and security of civilians must be guaranteed.”
Six ways Russia views Ukraine — and why each should worry the West
Tokayev, the Kazakh president, declared a two-week national state of emergency Wednesday, instituting an overnight curfew as well as a ban on mass gatherings. The restrictions come as the country’s sizable Orthodox Christian community prepares to celebrate Christmas on Friday.
“Today, more than ever, it is important for us to show unity and solidarity in order to ensure peace and stability in the country,” Tokayev said in a statement of congratulations to Orthodox Christians. “I am sure that together we will overcome all difficulties and trials, preserving our main asset — the unity of our people!”
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Jan. 5 that he asked a Russia-led military alliance for help to quell anti-government protests. (Reuters)
Internet services have severely disrupted since midday Wednesday, global Internet monitor NetBlocks said, with connectivity at about 5 percent of normal levels as of Friday morning.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
Kazakh authorities have oscillated between cracking down on protesters and giving in to some demands. On Thursday, they announced a 180-day cap on the price of vehicle fuel. The demonstrations began after the government lifted a price cap on liquefied petroleum gas, which powers most vehicles in the country’s west.
Oil and gas production, a significant part of Kazakhstan’s economy, has stuttered as the unrest continues. U.S. energy giant Chevron, which owns half of a joint venture that runs the major Tengiz oil field, said Thursday that production had been cut after protests disrupted its logistics.
Read more:
Here’s what you need to know about Kazakhstan’s unrest and Russian intervention
How the crisis in Kazakhstan unfolded
Analysis: Another post-Soviet ‘ruler for life’ faces upheaval, as enormous protests sweep Kazakhstan