Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev has declared victory over the Armenian separatists there in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Talks on the “reintegration” of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan are set to begin today.
According to President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has brought the Armenian-inhabited Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh under its complete control. In just one day, the “anti-terror measures” against the local separatists were successfully ended and the country’s sovereignty was restored, Aliyev said in a speech to the nation.
The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire, which includes the disarmament of their fighters, after fierce attacks by Azerbaijan. Talks on the “reintegration” of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan are set to begin today.
Russian peacekeeping force brokers a ceasefire
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting over the Caucasus region since Soviet times. This is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians supported by the government in Yerevan since the end of a separatist war in 1994.
In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured much of the region and adjacent areas previously held by Armenian forces. Russia brokered a ceasefire at the time and stationed a peacekeeping force of 3,000 men in the area. The current ceasefire was brokered by this peacekeeping force.
Reports of at least 200 deaths
The conflict escalated again on Tuesday. Azerbaijan used artillery guns and drones to bombard ethnic Armenian forces’ positions in Nagorno-Karabakh, which were not only dramatically outnumbered but also undersupplied by a months-long blockade of the region.
The human rights ombudsman in Nagorno-Karabakh, Geghan Stepanyan, reported at least 200 deaths, including ten civilians, and more than 400 injured. These numbers could not be independently verified.
According to Moscow, several Russian soldiers are also said to have been killed. However, no number was given. The Russian Defense Ministry said the incident occurred near the town of Janjatag. They were returning from an observation post when their vehicle was shot at with small arms fire.
Thousands of people are fleeing
Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents fled to a Russian peacekeeping camp, while others hoped for a flight at the airport in the regional capital Stepanakert.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that after the ceasefire came into force at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the intensity of hostilities had significantly decreased. He stressed that the Russian peacekeeping force is responsible for the security of Armenians in the area.
Protests in Yerevan
Pashinyan also said that his country did not take part in the ceasefire talks but took note of the decision of the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. He emphasized that his country did not want to be drawn into the fighting. He reiterated that there were no Armenian soldiers in the region either, although according to the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the withdrawal of Armenian soldiers from there is part of the ceasefire agreement.
In the evening, numerous people demonstrated again in Yerevan and demanded that their country come to the aid of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Demonstrators threw stones and bottles at the police, an AFP journalist reported. The security forces used stun grenades and arrested several people. At the same time, they threatened “special measures” if the clashes continued. There had already been violent protests against Pashinyan when the territories were lost in 2020.
Appeals from the EU and Federal Government
After the fighting temporarily ended, the EU and the federal government called on Azerbaijan to ensure the safety of the people on site. Azerbaijan and Russia, which is traditionally an ally of Armenia, must “ensure that people are safe in their own homes,” said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting in New York.
EU Council President Charles Michel said in a phone call that he had called on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to ensure “a complete ceasefire” and “safe and dignified treatment of the Armenians in Karabakh.” In addition, humanitarian aid must reach Nagorno-Karabakh “immediately.”