The mass exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh is taking dramatic proportions. More than 5,000 residents have already crossed the border into Armenia in recent days. The situation in the region is tense as Azerbaijan has taken control of Nagorno-Karabakh, causing great concern among Armenia’s 120,000 residents.
Many ethnic Armenians are considering leaving the disputed region. This may mark the final chapter in a long conflict.
What’s going on today?
The Armenians are scared. By late morning, nearly 5,000 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had arrived in Armenia. Local authorities report traffic congestion. Free fuel is made available for those wishing to leave. In the capital Stepanakert, many were said to be busy packing their belongings and waiting for buses and trucks. The city would empty after the short offensive of the Azerbaijani army.
What are the biggest concerns of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh?
There is a particular fear of reprisals. The Azerbaijani army won a quick victory over Armenian forces last week, forcing local Armenian separatist authorities to lay down their arms and begin talks on the “reintegration” of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan. Painful for the majority in the area, after three decades of Armenian dominance since the last war. Although Azerbaijan has consistently pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many locals still fear reprisals such as persecution and ethnic cleansing. There have also been reports of village destruction by Azerbaijani forces in recent days.
Why is there also hunger in the enclave?
In December last year, Azerbaijan blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. According to Azerbaijan, the Armenian government allegedly used the road for illegal arms shipments to separatist forces in the region. Armenia claimed that the closure of this road contributed to food and fuel shortages among the Armenian population. Azerbaijan rejects these accusations, arguing that the region could always have received food supplies, through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam. The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh themselves would have prevented this because they saw it as a strategy by Azerbaijan to gain control over the region, Azerbaijan said.
How is the international community responding?
Diverse and shocked. Russia will work to ensure that the rights of ethnic Armenians in Karabakh are respected, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov promises. Russia considers Armenia an ally, but rejects Armenia’s recent criticism that Moscow has “been inefficient” in keeping the peace and is partly to blame for the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moscow has peacekeeping troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, but according to Pashinyan they have done too little to act against the Azerbaijani invasion. The United States is deeply concerned about humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for “unhindered access for international humanitarian organizations and commercial traffic.” Senior US officials are expected to arrive in Armenia today. French President Emmanuel Macron has also pledged support to Armenia and the Armenians, promising food and medical aid for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, while saying he wants to continue working towards a “lasting peace” in the region. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Azerbaijan, will meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev today.
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2023-09-25 18:29:47
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