Europe 1 with AFP 3:30 p.m., January 6, 2022

Police in Kazakhstan announced Thursday that they had arrested around 2,000 people in the streets of Almaty, shaken for two days by riots, triggered in particular by the rise in the price of gas, which left dozens dead and a thousand injured. France on Thursday called on all parties involved to show "moderation".

The crisis is major in Kazakhstan.

Local police said Thursday they had arrested around 2,000 people in the streets of Almaty, the country's largest city in the south-east, rocked for two days by riots that have left dozens dead and a thousand injured .

France on Thursday called on all parties involved in the crisis in Kazakhstan, including Russia and its allies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSC) called to the rescue by this former Soviet republic, to show " moderation "after the death of dozens of demonstrators, killed by the police.

France condemns "the violence that took place"

"The police officers of Almaty left to clean the streets (...). In total, around 2,000 people were taken to the police stations", indicated the Ministry of the Interior, quoted by the agencies TASS and Ria Novosti . Gunshots erupted in the center of town on Thursday. Several gusts were heard at the end of the afternoon from the district of the town hall, which had been stormed Wednesday by hundreds of demonstrators.

"The events of the night are extremely worrying (...). We obviously condemn the violence which took place", declared the head of the French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, whose country ensures since January 1 the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, in front of the European press in Paris.

"We are very saddened by the fact that there have been so many victims and we call on all parties, whether in Kazakhstan or within the framework of the CSTO, to moderation and to open a dialogue ", he underlined, specifying that he would take stock of the situation in the afternoon with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, present in Paris for the launch of the French presidency of the Council of Europe. 'EU.

Riots triggered by the rise in gas prices

Russia and its CSTO allies on Thursday sent "peacekeepers" to Kazakhstan to deal with riots sparked by rising gas prices on Sunday. This military alliance brings together several former Soviet republics around Russia. Comprising of Russian, Belarusian, Armenian, Tajik and Kyrgyz troops, their mission will be to "protect state and military installations" and "to help the Kazakh security forces to stabilize the situation and restore the rule of law".

On Thursday, police reported "dozens" of protesters killed as they attempted to seize administrative buildings and police stations.

The Ministry of Health has identified more than a thousand injured.

Thirteen members of the security forces were killed, two of whom were found beheaded, and 353 wounded, according to television.

Help requested from Russia and its allies

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening and requested the CSTO's help in the face of the "terrorist threat" of riots in this central Asian country rich in natural resources.

He claims that "terrorists" who "received extensive training abroad" are leading the protests.

Police said Thursday they had arrested around 2,000 people in the streets of Almaty, the economic capital of the country at the heart of the riots.