Today is a national day of mourning in Kazakhstan that was declared due to the death of dozens of people during terrorist attacks all over the country. The appropriate edict was signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 8.
On January 2, 2022, people in Zhanaozen, a small town in the Mangystau region took to the streets due to an increase of prices for liquid gas from $0.13 to $0.27 per liter of gas. Along with Zhanaozen protests have broken across the country. On January 3, President Tokayev ordered the government to solve the situation in Zhanaozen. Later owners of liquid gas stations in the region decided to reduce prices to $0.19 – $0.20 per liter as part of the social responsibility of business.
The president called on the protesters to not follow instigators who want to destroy social stability and divide society. He also said the government has decided to reduce liquid gas prices to $0.11 per liter. The move is aimed at providing the country with stability and calming the protesters down.
In early morning January 5, President Tokayev declared a state of emergency in the Mangystau region and in Almaty because the situation rapidly worsened.
President Tokayev dismissed Askar Mamin from the office of the prime minister and appoints Alikhan Smailov as a new acting head of the cabinet.
The protests that appeared all over the country rapidly turned into a riot and looting. Attackers had seized and set ablaze the Almaty city administration building, Almaty residence of the president, they also seized and looted the airport and other official buildings. According to the information center of the commandant’s office in Almaty, those who participated in riots had tried to prevent the city’s ambulances from operating; some healthcare workers were even beaten. The state of emergency has been extended across the country.
On January 6, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev informed that the antiterrorist operation started in Almaty. The authorities imposed a curfew that restricts people and motorists from staying outside or moving on the streets from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am. The president also discussed the situation within the country’s Security Council and asked the Collective Security Treaty Organization to assist in containing the situation.
