Kazakhstan declares emergency; government resigned

Emergency is declared in Kazakhstan and will last until January 19 after the country’s largest city, Almaty’s airport was breached by protesters after unrest broke out across the country after the government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which many cars in the country runs on due to the low cost – which nearly doubled due to the price hike.

The government resigned in response of the violent protest.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appealed for help from the “Collective Security Treaty Organisation” (CSTO) which comprises of Russia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan for help to put down the unrest. He claimed that protestors are military trained and are battling the Kazakh’s military outside Almaty.

CSTO had responded saying that they will be sending peacekeeping forces to the country.

“In connection with the appeal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev and in view of the threat to national security and the sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan caused, inter alia, by outside interference, the CSTO Collective Security Council, in accordance with Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty, decided to send the Collective Peacekeeping Forces CSTO to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period of time in order to stabilize and normalize the situation in this country, ”

Collective Security Council said in a statement.

Presidential residence and the mayor’s office of Almaty were reported to have been set on fire. 8 police/national guard members were reportedly killed and more than 300 other security personnel were injured according to the Interior Ministry. The demonstrators were said to be armed with clubs and shields. No casualty numbers for the civilians/protestor were reported.