Unrest in Kazakhstan: soldiers with blue helmets spotted - UN has "concerns"

Created: 01/10/2022, 13:56

From: Max Schäfer

Kazakhstan is shaken by riots.

After a longer break, official figures on the fatalities are now available again.

The news ticker.

• According to the government, the situation is stabilizing after the violent protests against the authoritarian regime in Kazakhstan.

• Russia * sends troops to the neighboring state to be part of an "anti-terrorist operation" there.

• Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State *, calls for the end of the shooting order in Kazakhstan.

+++ 1.30 p.m.:

On the fringes of the unrest in Kazakhstan, soldiers were seen wearing blue helmets with the words "UN" on them.

This is also shown by recordings from various news agencies.

The United Nations have now expressed their concern in this regard: "We have [...] conveyed our concerns to the Permanent Representation of Kazakhstan," said a spokeswoman for the dpa.

The blue UN helmets were only allowed to be worn in the context of so-called peace missions, it said.

However, there is no such mission in Kazakhstan.

UN blue helmets have been sighted in the megacity of Almaty.

© Vladimir Tretyakov / AP / dpa

The recordings were made last week in the city of Almaty.

A possible theory circulated on social networks was that the helmets came from a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in which Kazakh soldiers were involved.

However, there is no official statement on this.

UN blue helmets have been sighted in the megacity of Almaty.

© Vladimir Tretyakov / AP / dpa

Riots in Kazakhstan: "Attempted Coup"?

+++ 9.45 a.m.:

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev has described the violent protests of the past week as an "attempted coup".

“Groups of armed fighters” who had waited for the right moment “went into action,” said Tokayev on Monday (January 10th, 2022) at a video conference with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin and other allied heads of state.

The "main goal" had become clear, "it was an attempt at a coup," said Tokayev.

The Kazakh President said that the security forces in his country would "never shoot" peaceful demonstrators.

The Moscow-led “anti-terror operation” of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will end “very soon,” he added.

Armed riot police detain a participant in the protests in Kazakhstan.

© Vasily Krestyaninov / dpa

Unrest in Kazakhstan: US Secretary of State Blinken calls for an end to shooting orders

+++ 9.30 a.m.:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked the Kazakh government to lift the order to shoot demonstrators.

"The order to shoot, as far as it exists, is wrong and should be revoked," said Blinken on Sunday (January 9th, 2022) on the television station ABC.

The US government is "very concerned" about the state of emergency in Kazakhstan.

In a conversation with his Kazakh colleague Muchtar Tileuberdi on Thursday (January 6th, 2022), Blinken made it clear that the US government expected the Kazakh authorities to “respect” the rights of the demonstrators and reduce the violence.

President Kassym-Schomart Tokayev gave his security forces the order on Friday (January 7th, 2022) to “fire fatal shots without warning”.

According to him, the demonstrators were "terrorists", many of them from abroad.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: "The order to shoot, as far as it exists, is wrong." © Andrew Harnik / afp

Unrest in Kazakhstan: 164 dead and more than 8,000 arrests

Update from Monday, January 10th, 2022, 8:02 a.m.:

According to the authorities, almost 8,000 people were arrested after the violent protests in Kazakhstan.

The Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday (January 10th, 2022) on its website that a total of almost 8,000 people had been arrested.

The former Soviet republic had been rocked last week by unprecedented clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Protests in Kazakhstan: 164 riots killed - more than 5,000 arrests

Update from Sunday, January 9th, 2022, 12.40 p.m.:

According to official information, 164 people were killed in the serious unrest in Central Asian Kazakhstan. The state television reported, citing the Ministry of Health. According to this, 103 people are said to have died - including two children - in the city of Almaty, which was particularly badly shaken by the unrest.

How many of the fatalities were civilians was initially unclear.

The authorities had previously spoken of more than 40 dead (see also initial report), including at least 16 police officers and soldiers.

According to official information, more than 2,200 people have been injured so far.

Especially in Almaty in the southeast of the ex-Soviet republic, around 1,100 people had requested medical help, the state television reported, citing the authorities.

Independent information continues to be scarce.

Almost 6,000 people have now been arrested, including many foreigners, it said.

President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev claimed that demonstrators were also supported from abroad.

Kazakhstan: Many dead after protests against authoritarian government

Nur-Sultan - After the violent protests against the authoritarian regime in Kazakhstan, over 5,000 people have already been arrested across the country.

"So far 5135 people have been arrested in all of Kazakhstan," reported the interior ministry of the ex-Soviet republic in the capital Nur-Sultan on Sunday morning (January 9th, 2022).

The judicial authorities are investigating the detainees for various offenses.

The incumbent Interior Minister Erlan Turgumbayev told the television station Chabar 24 that around 400 vehicles were destroyed during the protests, most of them by the police.

The Ministry of the Interior estimates the damage to property at around 175 million euros.

According to the authorities, 16 members of the security forces were killed as a result of the unrest in Kazakhstan.

The AFP news agency reports that 18 security guards have been killed.

In addition, around 1,300 police officers, soldiers and other members of the security authorities were injured in the violent clashes.

According to government figures, 26 “armed criminals” were killed and more than a thousand other demonstrators injured.

However, the information could not be confirmed by an independent party.

Protests in Kazakhstan: According to authorities and media reports, the situation has calmed down

In the meantime, "the situation has stabilized in all parts of the country," said Interior Minister Turgumbayev. The so-called "anti-terrorist operation" is continued, however, in order to "restore order in the country". The situation in Almaty also eased on Sunday (January 9th, 2022). According to media reports, around 30 supermarkets opened again. The airport, which was briefly occupied by demonstrators during the protests, will remain closed, according to the authorities.

After the protests in Kazakhstan, the authorities tried to restore normalcy in the country.

The supply of staple foods to remote regions has been secured, the Ministry of Commerce told the Russian news agency Tass on Sunday (January 9th, 2022).

The supply of liquid gas and fuel has also started again, according to the Ministry of Energy.

Kazakhstan: Many civilian deaths feared after protests

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev gave the police and army a wrong order on Friday (07.01.2022). They were supposed to shoot "without warning" at demonstrators whom he described as "terrorists" and "bandits". It was feared that there could be many civilian deaths - especially in the city of Almaty in the south-east of the Central Asian country, which was badly shaken by the riots.

The oil- and gas-rich former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan *, which borders Russia and China *, has been experiencing serious riots for days.

The trigger for the protests against the government is considered to be displeasure at the significant increase in fuel prices.

President Tokayev declared a state of emergency and asked the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for support.

(Max Schäfer with dpa / AFP)