Uzbek leader blames ‘foreign forces’ for outbreak of unrest

A view exhibits a truck which was burnt throughout protests in Nukus, capital of the northwestern Karakalpakstan area, Uzbekistan July 3, 2022. KUN.UZ/Handout through REUTERS

TASHKENT, July 6 (Reuters) – Uzbekistan’s president blamed “overseas forces” on Wednesday for inciting unrest within the Central Asian state’s autonomous Karakalpakstan republic, the place the federal government says 18 folks have been killed in violent clashes final week.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated the “disagreeable occasions” have been a supply of anguish, and the highest state prosecutor would conduct a radical investigation.

Authorities have stated 14 civilians and 4 legislation enforcement officers died. The overseas ministry stated on Wednesday that 107 legislation enforcement officers had been significantly injured, of whom 23 have been in a grave situation.

“After all, these occasions weren’t organized in someday or 10 days. These actions have been ready for years by overseas malicious forces,” Mirziyoyev stated in remarks printed on his spokesman’s Telegram channel.

“Their foremost purpose is to assault the territorial integrity of Uzbekistan and create an inter-ethnic battle,” he stated.

Mirziyoyev didn’t say what proof had been discovered of overseas involvement nor point out any nation particularly.

The protests broke out in response to authorities plans to revoke Karakalpakstan’s autonomous standing. Mirziyoyev shortly deserted the proposal when the demonstrations broke out.

Mirziyoyev has imposed a month-long state of emergency within the republic, the place entry to the web has been shut down.

The U.S. State Division this week referred to as for a full and clear investigation into the deaths. The U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, referred to as on the Uzbek authorities to “train utmost restraint”.

The violence is the worst to interrupt out since 2005 in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic which retains a decent lid on any type of opposition and clamps down harshly on dissent.

It follows mass protests in neighbouring Kazakhstan in January, to which authorities there responded by issuing shoot-to-kill orders and calling in troops from an alliance of Russia and different former Soviet republics to assist restore order.

Uzbekistan just isn’t a member of that alliance, however Mirziyoyev spoke this week to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who “expressed assist for the efforts of the management of Uzbekistan to stabilise the state of affairs”, the Kremlin stated.

Karakalpakstan – located on the shores of the Aral Sea, for

many years an environmental catastrophe web site – is dwelling to the

Karakalpaks, an ethnic minority group whose language is distinct

from Uzbek, though associated.

In 2005, Uzbek safety forces crushed armed protests within the

metropolis of Andizhan and 173 folks have been killed in clashes,

in keeping with official experiences. The federal government blamed the violence on Islamist extremists.

Reporting by Reuters
Enhancing by Alistair Bell

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