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Riots in Yerevan: Following a new agreement with Azerbaijan to end all fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region, riots broke out in Armenia. Protesters occupied the government building in the capital on Tuesday night. This could be seen in videos on social networks that had previously been broadcast in excerpts on Armenian television. The protesters smashed furniture, doors and windows. Some have penetrated the office of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Several hundred people remained in front of the government headquarters. They rebuked the prime minister as a traitor. The police did not initially intervene. There were reports that the protesters were attempting to visit Pashinyan’s residence.
The situation in the capital of Armenia was initially confusing. Pashinyan had previously reached an agreement with Azerbaijani President Ilcham Aliyev on ending the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh through the mediation of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
“The text is painful for me personally and for our people,” Pashinyan wrote on Facebook. But after careful consideration and analysis of the situation, he decided to sign it, Pashinyan wrote. Observers saw this as a surrender.
The President of Armenia allegedly surprised by the agreement
Armenian President Armen Zarkissyan was surprised by the agreement to end all fighting. “The press informed me,” he said. He also learned from the media about the conditions for ending the war. “Unfortunately, there were no consultations or discussions with me about the document.” However, every step, every action and especially the signing of such an important document should be the subject of extensive discussion.
The fight for Nagorno-Karabakh has continued since the end of September. The conflict itself has existed for decades. Azerbaijan lost control of the mountainous area with around 145,000 inhabitants in a war after the collapse of the Soviet Union some 30 years ago. Since 1994 there has been a fragile ceasefire. Azerbaijan invokes international law in the new war and always seeks the support of its “sister state” Turkey. Armenia, in turn, trusts Russia as a protective power.
Russian peacekeepers sent to a conflict region
Under the new agreement, Russian peacekeeping forces have already started their operations. The first four Ilyushin Il-76 jets flew with soldiers and armored vehicles to Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday night, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow told the Interfax agency. It was agreed that the official start of the mission would be at seven o’clock local time (four o’clock CET).
