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There is a new attempt to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, this time negotiated at the highest level. But how long will the ceasefire last? There are already protests in Armenia.
In the conflict in the South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan agreed to end all fighting. The new ceasefire came about thanks to the mediation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It should take effect in the morning at 1.00 am local time (Monday, 10.00 pm CET). The Kremlin announced this on the night of the Interfax agency.
Putin said the deal is the basis for a long-term solution to the Karabakh problem. The Russian peacekeepers must now monitor the end of the fighting. Consequently, both parties agreed to a previously controversial proposal.
According to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the ceasefire will be supervised jointly by Russian and Turkish peacekeepers. There will be a joint Turkish-Russian peacekeeping mission, Aliyev of the Interfax agency in Baku said overnight. On the Russian side, the soldiers would be deployed in 1960 for a period of five years with the option of an extension for another five years. Aliyev did not initially give information on the number of Turkish soldiers.
Already three attempts to cease fire
So far there have been three ceasefire attempts. They all failed. But it is the first time that the heads of state and government have signed an agreement of this type. The agreement also provides for a prisoner exchange. Both parties must exchange the remains of the dead soldiers. Refugees must return to their homeland under the supervision of the United Nations.
Russian border troops take control of the transport links between Karabakh and Armenia. Azerbaijan and Armenia have pledged to freeze their current positions, Putin said.
Protests in Armenia now
In Armenia, spontaneous protests against the agreement began. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke of a painful moment when he had to sign the agreement. The protesters insulted him as a traitor and stormed and devastated his seat of government. “The text is painful for me personally and for our people,” Pashinyan wrote on Facebook. However, after careful consideration and analysis of the situation, he decided to sign it, Pashinyan wrote. Observers saw this as a surrender.
To express their frustration, protesters that night occupied the government building in the capital Yerevan, as shown by videos on social media, excerpts of which were shown on Armenian television. The protesters smashed furniture, doors and windows. Some have broken into the office of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. There were reports that the protesters also wanted to visit Pashinyan’s residence.
The fighting has continued since the end of September. The death toll from Nagorno-Karabakh rose 44 to 1,221 on Monday, authorities said. Baku does not provide any information on losses in the armed forces due to censorship regulations during the state of war.
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.
