Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that order was “largely restored” in the country, after the suppression of protests against high energy that had inflamed the country in the previous days. At the moment, however, the “terrorists are still using weapons to damage property” and “the anti-terrorist action” will have to be continued.
Russia and its allies, writes the Bloomberg agency, have sent new troops to quell tensions, with the use of 75 aircraft by Moscow. The Russian military aided the reconquest of Almaty airport and will remain in defense of the consulate headquarters in the country. The intervention represents Moscow’s second major move to help a struggling ally, after the one in favor of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko against popular protests in 2020.
The Kazakh president: no mediation, I authorized to open fire
Protests erupted after fuel prices nearly doubled, resulting in the country’s most serious turmoil in three deaths from independence. The Kazakh Ministry of the Interior records 26 demonstrators killed, 18 injured and at least 3 thousand under arrest. Among the police officers there are 18 victims and over 700 injured. In parallel with the use of force, with the help of Russia and allies, the Kazakh government has tried to ease tensions by announcing a six-month gas price control.
It now seems more hard-liners, evoking the specter of “trained terrorists” arriving from abroad. The Kazakh president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, today rejected any hypothesis of mediation to put an end to the violence in the country and promised “the elimination” of what he called “the armed bandits” accused of having instigated the violent demonstrations. Tokayev added that he had authorized the police to open fire “without warning”.
China supports “measures taken against terrorism”
Tokayev also receives support from Beijing. Kazakhstan “is adopting a series of measures to counter terrorism and to defend stability”. China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, “supports all its efforts to resolve the situation and strongly opposes external forces inciting violence and chaos in the region.” As a “neighboring country and global strategic partner, China is willing to offer all the necessary support” to help Kazakhstan “overcome recent difficulties,” Wang added in the daily briefing.