Kazakhstan’s government has resigned amid mass protests over a sudden hike in fuel prices. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a two-week state of emergency in Almaty and the southwestern Mangistau Province to quell the unrest, which is the worst in the republic in over a decade.
Tokayev accepted his cabinet’s resignation on Wednesday and appointed Alikhan Smailov as the acting Prime Minister. He also sacked his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev as the head of the National Security Council and assumed the role of chairman of the Council.
In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Tokayev said that he “intends to act as tough as possible” against rioters. Saying that the issue is a matter of security, Tokayev urged citizens to support him.
Tokayev proclaimed that he will remain in the capital Nur Sultan whatever the consequences, saying that it is his “constitutional duty” to do so. “Together we will overcome this dark time in the history of Kazakhstan […] Soon I will present new proposals for the political transformation of Kazakhstan,” he added.
Tokayev also declared a two-week curfew in areas most affected by the protests, including Almaty and Nur Sultan. The restrictions include a ban on mass gatherings and travel restrictions. His announcement came after protests turned violent and demonstrators started attacking government buildings and offices.
Hundreds of protesters stormed the presidential residence and mayor’s office in Almaty. Furthermore, protesters set fire to police vehicles and seized the airport in Kazakhstan’s largest city. Local media also reported that fire and smoke were seen coming from government buildings in the city. Explosions could also be heard near the mayor’s office.
Protesters now storming the main government building in Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty. pic.twitter.com/lemKcpILL8
— Patrick Reevell (@Reevellp) January 5, 2022
The police retaliated by firing tear gas canisters and stun grenades at crowds and media reports indicated the possibility of gunfire. According to reports, dozens of protesters were killed and hundreds injured in clashes between protesters and security forces.
Almaty’s police chief, Kanat Taymerdenov, said that forces will continue to take measures to “suppress pogroms, looting, and extremism” and urged residents to remain at home and follow curfew rules. “Our main goal is to prevent further escalation of violence and radicalism,” he declared.
Taymerdenov noted that protesters had burnt more than 120 vehicles, including 33 police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks, and destroyed dozens of businesses. He added that over 500 civilians suffered injuries as a result of violence by the rioters.
Protests erupted on January 1 after the government lifted price caps on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a fuel widely used by Kazakhs to power their vehicles, and doubled LPG prices from 50 Kazakhstani Tenge ($0.12) per litre to 120 Tenge ($0.27). Apart from demanding lower fuel prices, protesters have called on the government to institute liberal economic and political reforms.
However, Tokayev’s reaction to the events indicates that he plans to suppress the protests and reject the demands of demonstrators. Tokayev called the protesters a “band of international terrorists” and asked law enforcement personnel to put an end to the rioting.
The Almaty police department said on Wednesday that its forces have launched a special counter-terror operation to “establish order” in the city. A statement released by the police said that “radically minded” rioters have caused “huge damage” to the city and “extremists are on a looting spree, causing damage to business.”
It suggested that the protesters had received foreign support. “Bandits who are on the rampage in Almaty are highly organized, which is evidence that they were seriously trained abroad,” the statement added.
The government has also blocked all communications and internet services in the affected cities.
Moreover, the President has appealed to the Russia-led Collective Security Organization (CSTO) to help with the crisis. Armenian Prime Minister and current chairman of the CSTO Nikol Pashinyan said that the alliance would send peacekeepers to Kazakhstan to stabilise the situation.
United States (US) State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that Washington is “closely following” the situation. “We condemn the acts of violence and destruction of property and call for restraint by both the authorities and protestors,” Price said. He also called on Kazakh authorities to protect human rights and media freedoms of the people.
Responding to several claims that the US might be behind the violence, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki blamed Russia for spreading disinformation. Psaki said that such claims were “absolutely false and clearly a part of the standard Russian disinformation playbook.”
Russia expressed support to Kazakh authorities and called for an end to “street riots and violations of laws.” Moreover, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned against outside interference in Kazakhstan. “We are convinced that our Kazakh friends can independently solve their internal problems,” he said.