A state of emergency was declared across Kazakhstan amid violent protests

Published:

5 ene 2022 16:59 GMT

Protesters have taken control of the international airport in Almaty, the country’s largest city.

Kazakhstan’s President Qasim-Yomard Djokovic on Wednesday declared a state of emergency across the national border in a bid to quell violence that has turned violent in the country’s largest city, Almaty, and other cities.

Protests erupted on January 2 as a result of the sharp rise in the price of liquefied petroleum gas used in the region as fuel for most cars. The protesters refused to arrest them.

By the time the government finally agreed to reduce fuel prices to their previous level, the anti-government protests had already gained a political clout, including the demand for the permanent removal of former President Narsultan Nazarbayev from power. Djokovic accepted the case on Wednesday and announced he was the former president Left His lifelong tenure as chairman of the National Security Council, his last coup, and from there he hid the current head of state from public view.

In his speech, Djokovic condemned the deaths of several uniformed men during the protests and promised to act “firmly”. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Eight Police and National Guard They have lost their lives During the riot, when 317 people were injured. Aktau, Aktobé and Almaty airports were closed.

Moments of great tension lived in the old capital of the country, Almaty, where an angry mob Attack On this day there was a fire in the administration building and in the buildings of the former presidential residence, the headquarters of the regional government and the public prosecutor’s office and the Kazakh state channel.

Protesters also seized control of Almaty International Airport, where they broke into the terminal and the Duty Free shop. Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot has canceled a scheduled flight from Moscow to the city tonight.

Almaty police said protesters burned 120 cars, including 33 police cars, and destroyed 120 shops, 180 restaurants and cafes and about 100 offices.

Amid the protests, locals set up checkpoints on the outskirts of the city, where they parked military vehicles and forced troops to remove their uniforms, while people chanted in central square. A curfew has been imposed in all Kazakhstan from 23:00 to 7:00 in the morning.

Operator Kazakhtelecom has cut off internet connections across the country, although access to various areas, including Aktau and Almaty, has been reported to be gradually restored.

What burned the fuse of the struggles?

Struggles in Kazakhstan They are unleashed After the New Year celebration, the price of a liter of fuel went up from 50-60 deng (12-14 cents) to 120 deng (28 cents). According to officials, the hike was due to the fact that gas prices are no longer controlled from January 1 and are set independently based on supply and demand.

Unhappy with the situation, Janochen residents first protested, as they took to the streets on January 2 and then resumed protests in several cities and towns, including the country’s capital, Nursultan, and Octav. , Octoba and Daltigorgan.

In an effort to prevent chaos, the government, which had initially promised that it would not be possible to recover previous prices due to “market laws”, announced on Tuesday that it would reduce the liter of fuel in the region to 50 deng. It erupted in October, despite failing to control public discontent. The Kazakh government resigned on Wednesday.

It should be noted that West Kazakhstan, where protests erupted, is a major oil region that contributes most of the revenue to the national budget. However, as the region does not receive all the subsidies it needs for its development, a sharp rise in fuel prices is making it harder for people twice as hard as in other parts of the world.