Bloody Coup in Kyrgyzstan, Government Ousted
On April 7th, thousands of Kyrgyzstanis gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital, Bishkek, after an altercation between a few protestors and police turned sour. A day earlier, revolting Kyrgyzstanis had already taken over a government building in another city What was initially a protest against the stagnating state economy, the suppression of government-critical news outlets, and an oppressive government under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev boiled over into a full-fledged coup. Police responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas, but failed to disperse the increasingly violent crowd. As masses of civilians overtook the parliament building after driving through its gates, security forces panicked and began to fire on them with live ammunition.
At the end of the day, at least 79 people were dead, over 1000 injured, the president had fled the capital to a remote region in the south of the country, and the opposition Social Democratic Party had set up an interim government under party leader Roza Otunbayeva. They say that they will serve as Kyrgyzstan’s leadership until new elections can be held in six months. While President Bakiyev has stated that he remains the legitimate head of the Kyrgyzstani government, he said that he is open to negotiations with the opposition government. On other hand, the families and friends of fallen protestors have called for the president to be brought to justice, and some say, executed for his crimes.
Notably, the United States also has a vested interest in the future of the nation. Flights into and out of Manas Air Base, in southern Kyrgyzstan, a key transfer point for American troops going into and out of Afghanistan, have been temporarily halted due to the current instability. As such, many servicemen and women are stranded, waiting for clearance for resumed operations to be given. It is still unclear how friendly the opposition government is to the presence of Manas Air Base on Kyrgyzstani soil. Russia also has a vested security interest in the region, and are cooperating with the United States in the aftermath of the uprising to assess the strategic situation.