Recent Posts

Russia’s Response to Unrest in Kazakhstan: Risk Versus Reward

The Russian-led ‘peacekeeping’ operation has helped to restore state order, but how will it respond to an escalation of violence? The outbreak of unrest across Kazakhstan at the beginning of 2022 took international audiences by surprise. The protests, which were triggered by rising fuel prices, quickly morphed into demonstrations across …

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To Help Central Asia, Engage with Muslim Civil Society

Kazakhstan’s violence emphasizes the relevance of often overlooked communities. Kazakhstan’s violent upheaval this month underscores that governments and international organizations need to more effectively help Central Asia’s 76 million people build responsive, effective governance across their five nations. Mass protests or communal violence also have struck Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan …

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What to Make of Kazakhstan’s Seemingly Sudden Unrest

As Moscow deploys troops at the behest of its Central Asian neighbor, where do Kazakhstan’s explosive protests go from here? What started last week as a protest against fuel price increases has quickly turned into a nationwide movement that is taking aim at Kazakhstan’s elite political and economic leaders — …

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