Kazakhstan In Turmoil: US Allows Consular Staff To Leave, Tightens Security At Nur-Sultan Embassy

Kedutaan Besar AS di Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan. (Wikimedia Commons / Mazur Vladimir)

JAKARTA - The United States (US) is taking steps to increase security at the Embassy located in Nur-Sultan, as well as allowing its consulting staff to leave on Friday, amid the turmoil in Kazakhstan.

US authorities say they have approved the voluntary departure of US government employees and non-emergency family members from the consulate general in the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, amid the country's ongoing state of emergency.

"US citizens in Kazakhstan should be aware that violent protests can seriously impact the US Embassy's ability to provide consular services, including assistance to US citizens leaving Kazakhstan", the US State Department said.

Meanwhile, senior US officials have urged Kazakhstan's leaders to find a peaceful resolution to the series of protests, while questioning the wisdom of the Central Asian country's decision to seek security assistance from a Russian-dominated military alliance.

The protests, which began last weekend over a spike in fuel prices, developed into political grievances and anger against corruption, also causing the US Embassy in Kazakhstan to step up security measures and consider evacuation, according to an email obtained by Politico as quoted Jan. 8.

In discussions with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi last Thursday, the US Secretary of State "reaffirmed the United States' full support for Kazakhstan's constitutional institutions and media freedom and advocated for peaceful resolutions, respecting the right to crisis", according to the State Department.

Blinken separately tweeted that he had a productive call with Tileuberdi and they were both committed to supporting Kazakhstan's constitutional institutions and the amicable and diplomatic settlement of disputes.

To note, the US Embassy is located in the city of Nur-Sultan, which is named after Nursultan Nazarbayev, the country's longtime autocratic leader. But the United States also has diplomatic facilities in Almaty.

As the protests grew louder, State Department officials considered various security measures, according to emails shared among several top officials, including Wendy Sherman, the deputy secretary of state. On January 5, they discussed the possibility of evacuating embassy staff and American citizens. Embassy officials ultimately decided leaving the country was unnecessary unless the situation on the ground became more dangerous.

In Almaty, additional police were sent to guard the US embassy facilities. Embassy staff members, meanwhile, took refuge on the spot, apparently on January 5. Internet outages sometimes prevent embassy staff from sending cables, according to emails.

However, the State Department declined to comment on the record of the email. But a spokesman told Politico the country was "monitoring the situation on the ground as the Kazakhstan Mission continues to operate at limited capacity."