Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asked for assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) last week as violence gripped half of the country while he dismissed some of his senior security officials who were later charged with treason.
This week, the authorities said they had stabilized the situation and completed what they called an “anti-terrorist operation” in most of the country, its biggest city Almaty a notable exception.
The alliance said on Wednesday the peacekeeping contingent would take 10 days to fully withdraw.
The protests, triggered by a sharp increase in car fuel prices, were initially peaceful, but turned violent in many major cities as some protesters attacked security forces, captured and torched government buildings and looted shops.
The authorities have detained almost 10,000 people over the unrest and said foreigners were also among the attackers.
Source: Reuters
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