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Fighting outside the disputed area with civilians among the victims, while the two countries’ propaganda war continues.
At least a hundred people, including civilians, have died in recent days in the fiercest fighting in recent years between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The self-proclaimed autonomous democracy has announced 84 soldier deaths since Sunday, as well as civilian casualties. For its part, Azerbaijan has not disclosed its own military casualties, but the country’s president has said that at least 10 civilians have been killed.
However, the conflict, which began three days ago with a focus in Nagorno-Karabakh, appears to be spreading to other areas.
Armenia says a bus was hit by an Azeri-controlled drone in the eastern city of Vardenis. Meanwhile, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that the Azeri armed forces opened fire on an Armenian military unit in the same area. For its part, Azerbaijan accused the Armenian army of bombing the Dakeshan region on the border between the two countries.
It is noted that Turkey and Tayyip Erdogan have openly supported Azerbaijan in this dispute, while information is leaked from Armenia that Syrian fighters – Turkish mercenaries are operating in the region. Today, furthermore, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu made a significant statement that the conflict will not stop as long as Armenia exists in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Key points of conflict in the region
- Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region of 4,400 square kilometers
- It is traditionally inhabited by Armenian Christians and Turkish Muslims.
- During the Soviet era it became an autonomous region within the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the majority of its inhabitants are Armenians.
- An estimated 1 million people were displaced by the war from 1988 to 1994, and some 30,000 died.
- Separatist forces occupy significant ground around Nagorno-Karabakh, within Azerbaijan.
- Since the truce in 1994, there has been a diplomatic and political stalemate in the region.
- Turkey clearly supports Azerbaijan. Russia maintains a military base in Armenia and has a defense cooperation agreement with the country. Yerevan is reportedly aiming to sign a similar pact with Nagorno-Karabakh (which it hasn’t even recognized as an autonomous state) in a bid to pressure Moscow to act.
The international community and the UN
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the situation, but the dispute does not appear to be at the heart of the international community.
Russia has so far kept its distance from the conflict, while the United States has not seemed “warm” to mediate. Mike Pompeo, however, made a special report today from Souda. After all, it would not be unreasonable for Washington to address the issue in the near future, since, in the middle of the electoral period, the Armenian lobby in the United States is quite strong.
Angela Merkel, for her part, today called for an “immediate ceasefire.” “The foreign minister stressed that an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table is urgent,” during two separate telephone conversations with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to a statement from the foreign minister.
“Neighboring countries must contribute to a peaceful solution,” said the foreign minister, adding that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Minsk Group, created in 1992 to find a solution to the conflict, in the region, are the “appropriate forums” to calm the conflict.
For its part, France said today that it will convene talks between members of the Minsk Group, led by Russia, France and the United States, which mediates between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in an attempt to resolve the escalating conflict between the two southern countries. from the Caucasus.
“In the coming days we will request coordination from the Minsk Group to clarify what happened, who is responsible and find a way out,” the office of French President Emmanuel Macron told Reuters today.
