What is the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan about?
The focus of the conflict between the two countries is Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region in the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The region consists of a majority of ethnic Armenians, who strive for autonomy and integration with Armenia, but Azerbaijan continues to hold on to the area. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the conflict escalated into armed conflict, with serious fighting and ethnic cleansing.
A ceasefire was agreed in 1994, but the conflict remained unresolved and sometimes flared up again. At the end of last year, the Azerbaijani army launched a major offensive to regain control of the area. The local government then announced that Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist. Nearly 90,000 people, accounting for about 75 percent of the total population, have fled the region.
