Behgjet Pacolli's worker in Kazakhstan relates to chaos there

Once a normal working day was completed, Kastriot (the real identity of which is known for editing), a Kosovar standing in Kazakhstan, had to be shut down in the apartment.

Worried and without much information, this young man in his 20 ' s is waiting to see what will happen to the riots that have engulfed this country.

Kastriot, who spoke on condition of anonymity, began working in the state of Central Asia in 2021 through the Mabetex Group company, owned by Behgjet Pacolli, former president of Kosovo.

A wave of massive protests has started in Kazakhstan for four days because of the sudden increase in the price of liquid gas, which is used for cars in the oil-rich state.

Kastriot, along with other Kosovar workers, is living in the capital, Nur Sultan.

He says the current situation there is calmer compared to other cities like Almati, but according to the authorities' order, they are locked in the apartment.

We're closed. We can't get out. Neither at the door nor at the store we can get out of the”, he relates.

However, the big protest has also been warned in the place where he is currently standing.

We're actually freaking out because we don't even have an Embassy here. Today the passports have been brought to us and they haven't given us any news of what we're going to do, they've just told us your sister's vacation is”, he relates.

A massive break in the internet and phone waves in the state has increased concern for these Kosovars.

“The families were worried that two days we didn't have the internet, because Kazakhstan stopped it, so we didn't have how to warn”, he says. The Internet has already returned on January 6th.

Workers on vacation, not known for their fate away

In recent years, many Kosovars have managed to obtain jobs in Kazakhstan mainly through the Mabetex Group company. The new job conferences are constantly opening, and the latter one was in December 2021.

In July 2020 this company had announced over 230 new jobs in Kazakh, mainly in the builder.

Despite Radio Free Europe's efforts, the Mabetex company and its representatives have not answered questions concerning the number of Kosovo workers there or their security situation.

Kastriot, a plumbing worker, shows that 300 other Kosovars work with him in just one area of the city where he works.

He says that besides the holiday announcement, they have no other information about what will happen next to them.

“Aeroports are closed, we are waiting to calm the situation. The company actually didn't report anything”, he says.

So far, neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided information about how many Kosovars are located in Kazakhstan currently and how their situation is.

Mabetex Project Engineering is a global company specialising in subsidiary construction in 18 countries. The company has headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, and has employed about 14,000 workers.

In Kazakhstan alone, according to public data, the company has made the construction of the president's residence in Nur Sultan, ministries' buildings and concert halls there.

Other constructions include: The National Theatre of Neo-classic Drama, the Opera and Ballet Theatre, Airport at Nur Sultan, the building of the Sports and Tourism Ministry in Kazakhstan, and so on.

Kastriot, meanwhile, shows concern for his colleagues and friends in cities like Almati with more unrest.

He especially co-operation with families in Kosovo who convey news from Kazakhstan with concern.

When we have this kind of problem, let our families know or make a post. The least he could do”, he said.

What's going on in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan has been experiencing the worst street protests the country has seen since gaining independence three decades ago.

Destabilities blast is causing great concern in Kazakhstan's two powerful neighbours: Russia and China. The country sells most oil exports to China and is a leading strategic ally of Moscow.

A sudden increase in car fuel prices early in the year triggered the first protests in a remote oil city in the west. But tens of thousands of protesters who have since been on the streets in many cities now stand in the eye of the entire authoritarian government.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev initially sought to calm the crowds by dismissing the entire government early Wednesday (5 January).

By the end of the day, however, he had changed his attitude. First, he described demonstrators as terrorists. He then called on a military alliance led by Russia, Organisation of the Kolecative Security Treaty, for assistance in the crackdown on the uprising, and the CSTO agreed to send an indefinite number of peacekeepers.

Kazakhstan police have said some protesters are “eliminated” overnight in the largest city of state, Almati, when they have attempted to enter administrative buildings, while national riots have escalated.

Of the five Central Asian republics that gained independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is by far the largest and richest. It lies in a territory the size of Western Europe and is located on top of huge oil reserves, natural gas, uranium, and precious metals.

But while Kazakhstan's natural resources have helped it to cultivate a solid middle class, as well as a considerable group of highly wealthy tycoons, financial difficulties are widespread. The average national monthly salary is slightly less than $600.

The rally that caused the last crisis took place in the western oil city of Janeiro. Disillusionments have long been exasperated in the area because of the feeling that the region's energy assets have not been properly distributed among the local population. In 2011, police shot dead at least 15 people in the city who were protesting in support of fired oil workers after a strike.

When prices of liquid oil that most people in the area use to supply their cars doubled during the night on Saturday, patience broke out. Residents in nearby towns quickly joined, and within days major protests spread to the rest of the country.