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Thousands of Armenians have protested against the resignation of Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. The protesters oppose a ceasefire agreement signed with neighboring Azerbaijan to resolve the conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The protesters allege that the agreement opens opportunities for Azerbaijan to enjoy regional benefits. Qatar-based Al Jazeera reports.
Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia reached an agreement last Tuesday to end the war in Karabakh. The three countries reached the agreement after Azeri forces captured the strategically important city of Shusha in Karabakh in Armenia. Susha is the second largest city in Karabakh. Despite the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia has been included in the agreement as a mediator.
Thousands of people protested in the Armenian capital Yaravan against the agreement. At the time, they also called the Prime Minister a ‘traitor’ and chanted slogans. The protesters also tried to break into the parliament building.
Although the Nagorno-Karabakh region is located within Azerbaijan, it is controlled by Armenian separatists under the auspices of the Yerevan government. In the late 1970s, conflicts began between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control of the region. The conflict culminated in the fall of the former Soviet Union in 1991. Until the ceasefire between the two parties was established in 1994, 30,000 people died in the fighting. Subsequently, in early 2016, the two parties also became involved in the conflict.
The old conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region resumed on September 26. Russian President Vladimir Putin says that at least 5,000 people have already died in the conflict. The death toll is constantly increasing. More than two thousand people on both sides have lost their lives.
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