After serious unrest, the President of the authoritarian Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, issued an order to shoot militant demonstrators. In a televised address, he threatened that anyone who did not surrender would be destroyed. “I gave the order to the security forces and the army to open fire without warning,” said Tokayev. There are calls from abroad for a peaceful solution to the crisis. “What a stupid thing! What kind of negotiations can there be with criminals and murderers?” Said Tokayev.
The head of state declared that a total of 20,000 “bandits” had attacked the metropolis of Almaty in the south-east of the Central Asian country, where the unrest had been particularly violent in the past few days. He also referred to demonstrators as “terrorists” and as controlled from abroad. It is currently difficult to independently verify information. The Internet is repeatedly turned off in Kazakhstan and the border has been closed to foreigners.
Tokayev said he had decided to unblock the Internet in some regions. Russia and other neighboring countries sent peacekeeping troops at his request. They have since arrived and are temporarily staying in the country to ensure safety. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his quick help in suppressing the uprising. He also thanked China, Uzbekistan and Turkey.
At least 26 protesters killed
In a statement circulated by his office, the President said before his address that an “anti-terrorist operation” had been launched. “The” constitutional order “in the country has largely been restored. On the streets of Almaty, the largest city in the Central Asian country, the state forces seemed to have the situation under control. However, gunshots could be heard again that morning near the central square .
In the morning, the Interior Ministry announced that 26 demonstrators had already been killed. In addition, there have been more than 3,000 arrests. It was feared that there could now be many more civilian deaths. According to official information, at least 18 police officers and national guards also died.
The unrest in the authoritarian ruled ex-Soviet republic was triggered by displeasure at the rise in fuel prices at petrol stations. But they quickly turned into sometimes violent protests against the government. In response to the protests, the current President Tokayev dismissed the entire government and imposed a nationwide state of emergency.
Internationally, there is growing concern about an escalation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned his Kazakh colleague Muchtar Tileuberdi on Thursday evening. Blinken had reaffirmed “the United States’ full support for the constitutional institutions of Kazakhstan and the freedom of the media,” the State Department in Washington said later. The USA and the Federal Foreign Office spoke out in favor of a peaceful solution to the conflict. Reminders came from other EU countries that the violence must come to an end.