Armored personnel carriers and dozens of pedestrians entered the main square of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and financial capital, this morning, where hundreds of people have gathered to protest against the government for a third day, according to Reuters. are there.
Shots were fired as soldiers approached the crowd, according to Reuters eyewitnesses.
Army intervention and peacekeeping mission
Kazakhstan’s President Kasim-Yomart Tokayev announced today that he had ordered the army to intervene to restore order and end the riots that began over the increase in the retail price of energy but seem to have quickly turned into an uprising.
“Terrorist gangs” have been involved in a paratrooper battle in Almaty, the head of state has said, adding that Kazakhstan is not just facing a “threat” but a risk of overthrowing “the state”.
Mr Tokayev also confirmed that he had requested military assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an organization that includes former Soviet-led Soviet republics.
Earlier, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Armenian Prime Minister Nicole Pasinian, confirmed that a “peacekeeping mission” would be deployed in Kazakhstan at Almaty’s request.
Cancellation of flights at the airport
Almaty Deputy Mayor Ersan Babakumarov announced that the occupation of the city’s airport had ended. Several airlines were forced to cancel flights to and from the city after it was occupied by crowds on Wednesday.
Several channels on the Telegram platform have posted videos immortalizing army operations against protesters, some in Almaty. The videos show fire and screams.
Prior to President Tokayev’s announcements, the Interior Ministry confirmed the deaths of eight National Guard policemen and men and the injuries of 317 others. No casualties were reported among the protesters; thousands were reported injured.
Protests over the rise in gas prices over the weekend have turned into real battles over the past two days. The government submitted its resignation to the president, who announced that he accepted it. Rumors that Mr. Tokayev himself was also going to resign or leave the country were categorically refuted by him.
The violence focuses on Kazakhstan’s economic metropolis, Almaty. Videos from the episodes depict law enforcement using stun grenades to disperse protesters, with cars burning in the background.
The president announced political reforms shortly yesterday, without going into further details.
In addition, he announced that he is taking over the role of head of the Security Council of Kazakhstan, an office held until yesterday by former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who retained part of power despite ceasing to be head of state in 2019.
“My constitutional duty is to be with the people. “Together we will overcome this black page in the history of Kazakhstan,” said Kasim-Yomart Tokayev.
The resignation of the government did nothing but de-escalate the protests. Videos broadcast yesterday from Almaty depicted a government building in the center in flames, while the country’s media broadcast information about the attack on a house used by the head of state in the big city and its arson.
The interruption of internet access, which is believed to have been ordered by the authorities to make communication between the organizers of the demonstrations difficult, makes communications difficult. The whole country was declared a state of emergency yesterday.
Call on the international community to show restraint
The U.S. presidency yesterday called on the Kazakh authorities to show “restraint” and wished the protests “peaceful”, with its spokeswoman Jen Psaki categorically denying “false accusations by Russia” of US incitement to protest. the country. “This is completely false,” he said, referring to Russia’s “misinformation strategy.” For his part, US diplomat Ned Price said Washington “condemns the violence and the destruction of property and calls on both the authorities and the protesters to show restraint.”
The European Union has called for calm.
Russia has called for a peaceful solution to the crisis “within the framework of the Constitution and the laws and through dialogue and not through riots in the streets.”
The UN is “watching the situation with concern”, said yesterday the representative of the Secretary General, Stefan Duzarik, adding that it is “very important (…) for everyone to show restraint, to refrain from violence and to promote dialogue” .
The price of uranium increased by almost 8%
The price of uranium has risen by almost eight percent in international commodity markets amid unrest in Kazakhstan, according to Bloomberg News, citing data from UxC, a leading nuclear fuel research and analysis company.
The price rose from $ 42 to $ 45.25 an ounce, according to UxC data.
Kazakhstan accounts for about 40% of the uranium available on the world market, according to Bloomberg estimates.
The share of Kazatomprom, a Kazakh company that mines raw uranium, fell 8.8% yesterday on the London Stock Exchange, where it is listed.
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