MOSCOW (Reuters) – Violence erupted in Kazakhstan on Friday in protest of rising petrol and gas prices. Following this, the Prime Minister of this country Askar Mamin resigned. Kazakhstan, an oil-rich Central Asian country, seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. Liquefied petroleum gas is the most widely used fuel for cars here. In this context, the Government of Kazakhstan has recently doubled the price of this fuel. Thus the people became agitated. Fighting erupted in the capital, Noor Sultan, and in Almaty. The mayor’s office was looted.
The police threw the smoke bombs to control the protesters. Thus, the conflict erupted on both sides. Of these, 12 policemen were killed. A police officer was beheaded. Following this, more than 15 people were killed in police firing. Many were seriously injured. That area was bloodied.
Following this, a state of emergency has been declared across the country for the first time. Meanwhile, Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin resigned yesterday amid a series of protests and violence. Accepting his resignation, President Dokayev ordered the formation of an interim government led by Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan Smilov. He also announced a reduction in the price of liquefied petroleum gas.
* Launches Peace Corps: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which seceded from the Soviet Union, have formed a military alliance led by Russia called the Joint Security Agreement (CSTO). The organization is currently in Kazakhstan to suppress violence.