Explanation

Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests the country has seen since gaining independence three decades ago. Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests the country has seen since gaining independence three decades ago. The outburst of instability is causing significant concern in Kazakhstan’s two powerful neighbours: Russia and China. The country sells most of its oil exports to China and is a key strategic ally of Moscow. A sudden spike in the price of car fuel at the start of the year triggered the first protests in a remote oil town in the west.