Violence continues in Kazakhstan, US closely follows Russia-led forces' entry

The organisation's secretary general told the RIA news agency that the number of general peacekeeping forces would be around 2,500 and could increase if necessary.

Washington will carefully observe any possible human rights violations and “any action that could create the conditions for apprehending Kazakhstan's institutions,”, Mr. Price added.

State Department comments come after Russia rushed out military troops at night to stave off a nationwide uprising to one of Moscow's closest former Soviet allies, while violence again swept over Kazakhstan's main city of Almati on Thursday.

Police said they killed dozens of rebels overnight. Authorities said at least 18 members of the security forces had died, including two found with severed heads. More than 2,000 people have been arrested.

After a night of continuing confrontations between protesters and troops, a presidential residence in the city and the mayor's office were burned and burnt cars filled the city's streets, Reuters news agency said.

Military personnel recovered control of the main airport, previously occupied by protesters. On Thursday evening, the clashes were rekindled in the main square of the town of Almatiy, where the search was taken over by troops and sometimes by hundreds of protesters.

Russian speculation was an attempt by the Kremlin to quickly send military force to secure its interests in the Central Asian country, hoping to eliminate violence.

Oil production in Kazakhstan's main oil fields of Tengiz was reduced Thursday, its operator Chevron said, as several contractors cut off railway lines in support of the protests.

The Internet was interrupted throughout the country, making it impossible to determine the extent of the turmoil.

Kazakhstan has been experiencing the most violent protests since the country gained independence three decades ago.

Destabilities blast is causing great concern to Kazakhstan's two powerful neighbours: Russia and China. The country exports the largest amount of oil 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 western part of the country. But tens of thousands of people who have since been on the streets in over 10 cities have now turned against the authoritarian government.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has taken increasingly desperate measures. He initially tried to calm the crowds by dismissing the entire government early Wednesday. But by the end of the day, he had changed his attitude. First, he described demonstrators as terrorists. He later called on a military alliance led by Russia, the Organisation of the Treaty for Kolecative Security, for help in suppressing the uprising, and that organisation agreed to send an indefinite number of peacekeepers.

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 extends to an area the size of Western Europe, and its underground land contains huge oil reserves, natural gas, uranium, and precious metals.

But while Kazakhstan's natural assets have helped it create a solid middle class, as well as a considerable group of highly wealthy tycoons, financial difficulties are many. The average national monthly salary is under $600. The banking system has fallen prey to deep crises caused by defective loans. As in most of the region, corruption is rampant.

The rally that caused the last crisis was held 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 to the local population. In 2011, police shot dead at least 15 people in the city who were protesting in support of oil workers fired after a strike.

When prices of liquid gas that most people in the area use to supply their cars doubled overnight on Saturday, patience came to an end. Residents in neighbouring cities joined protests, and within days major protests spread to the rest of the country.

Pressing critical voices in Kazakhstan has long been the norm. Any figure that is expressed against the government or printed has been overlooked or taken for himself. So even though these demonstrations have been enormous, some drawing more than 10,000 people, a large number for Kazakhstan have not shown movement leaders.

For most of Kazakhstan's recent decades history, power was in the hands of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. This changed in 2019 when Nazarbayev, now 81, left and appointed his former ally Tokayev as his successor. In his quality as head of the security council overseeing the military and security services, Nazarbayev continued to preserve a considerable impact on the country. Tokayev announced on Wednesday that he was taking over the post of security council head by Nazarbayev.

Much of the indignation in the last days was directed, not to Tokayev, but to Nazareth, who is still widely considered the ruler of the country. Slogani “Shal ket! (”

This is an unknown area for Kazakhstan. The country has experienced major demonstrations before: After the adoption of a controversial earth law in 2016. And again in 2019, after questionable elections that ensured holding the ruling Earthev. But never before in these sizes.

In one of his calls to the public Wednesday, Tokayev pledged to undertake reforms and hinted that political liberalisation was possible. However, his harshest comments at the end of the day suggested that he would go in a more welcoming direction.

However, because street protests do not have a well-defined focus, at least for now, it is difficult to predict how they can end. But even if they fail to overthrow the government, they are likely to pave the way for a profound transformation. What is not clear is what form this transformation will have. /voa