© AP / Russian Defense Ministry
Russian peacekeepers leave an airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Jan.9, 2022.
The crisis cabinet notified President Kasim-Yomart Tokáyev that “in all regions” the situation was calmed after days of protests and riots that resulted in nearly 6,000 arrests. “The security forces have liberated all the administrative buildings and the work of communal services and other basic systems has been restored,” the Executive announced in a statement. However, local authorities report that some crashes persist.
The Kazakh government indicated that it had put a closure to the conflict that broke out over the last few weeks in different regions of the Central Asian country by reporting this Sunday that the situation was stabilized.
At the meeting that took place on January 9, the crisis cabinet informed President Kasim-Yomart Tokátev that the context was close to normalizing. Later, in a statement they announced that the security forces “liberated all the administrative buildings” and that “the work of communal services and other basic systems was restored.”
The protests, which took place in the various regions of the country with the capital Almaty as the epicenter, left a high number of detainees that reached almost 6,000 people – with a significant fraction of foreigners – and dozens of deaths, including 16 police officers. , two military personnel and about 164 civilians.
Clashes between protesters and the Police persist
Despite the Executive’s announcement, armed clashes between groups of protesters who do not surrender and the police still persist in the nation’s main city.
“The guerrillas continue to offer armed resistance. There are signs of stabilization, but there are also pockets of bloody resistance, “explained Mayor Erzhan Babakumarov to a local media. He added that the last night was “relatively quiet” and that he began the process of repairing the damaged street furniture.
The head of state remarked that the security agencies will take all the necessary measures to complete the restoration of order in the country. Meanwhile, he said that a constitutional commission will be created to resolve how the negative consequences of the protests will be paid for, such as the reconstruction of public buildings.
At the express request of Tokáyev, this Monday a meeting will take place remotely between the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the post-Soviet military alliance led by Russia. There the measures chosen to normalize the situation on Kazakh soil will be analyzed.
The look of the United States and the European Union
The chaos that occurred in Kazakhstan was not ignored by the great blocs of the world. While Russia sent its troops to support local forces and monitor strategic scenarios so that the protesters did not perpetrate them, the European front – of which the Kazakhs are members – and the North American country clearly observed the situation.
In a diplomatic tone, the representative of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Josep Borrell, made public his concern about the wave of violence against the peaceful protests that took place in Kazakhstan over the last week. In addition, he asked the authorities to respect human rights and civil liberties.
In the statement released by the European External Action Service, it also called on “to avoid any incitement to violence, to act with restraint and to avoid the exploitation of the disturbances for other purposes.” Finally, he added that the EU is ready to “provide assistance for a peaceful resolution.”
On the other hand, Anthony Blinken – US Secretary of State – was more intransigent in his statements in an interview with ABC. He said they are seeking clarification from Kazakh officials on the reasons for calling the Russian military.
He was also very critical of the “shoot to kill” order issued by the Executive of Kazakhstan a few days ago. “The order to shoot to kill, to the extent that it exists, is incorrect and should be rescinded,” he said.
With EFE and Archyde.com