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The spectrum of war in the caucasus: clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia It happened at dawn on Sunday, September 27.
The tension between the two states is very high, it never gave way since the 90s, since the claim by both parts of the territory Nagorno-Karabakh turned this former Soviet region into a minefield.
According to recent events, Azerbaijan has launched a major counteroffensive against the Armenian separatists from the disputed region, who claim to have in turn attacked the enemy army. The Azerbaijani nation has also said that it wants to end Armenia’s military activities, with the aim of ensuring the safety of the civilian population.
What is happening and why is there a risk of a dangerous war in the Caucasus?
Clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia: what happens?
At least 16 soldiers and several civilians were killed on Sunday, September 27, in the most intense clashes since 2016 between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Therefore, concerns about stability have been rekindled in the South Caucasus, a strategic corridor, passageway for pipelines that transport oil and gas to world markets.
What happened on hectic Sunday?
The Armenian government said the fighting started after about bombing It happened at dawn on September 27, which caused several deaths and injuries. For its part, the Armenian army would have attacked two helicopters, three drones and three tanks.
Both countries they accuse each other having started the conflicts while the separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh has martial law announced. The spokesman for the separatist presidency wrote a post on his Facebook page in which he said on Sunday: “Early this morning, the Azerbaijani side shelled the entire front line. They are also bombing Stepanakert, we ask the population to take refuge “.
The region’s defense minister also said that: “Until now, the Karabakh Armed Forces defeated Azerbaijan’s plans, causing great losses “. Several victims and injuries from both governments have been reported.
In the matter is Russia also intervened, and the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov has requested a “immediate ceasefire“ to both parties. Moscow also requested the start of talks to stabilize the situation.
Turkey also condemned the Armenian attack on Azerbaijan, claiming it was one “Chiara violation of international laws“ reaffirming and confirming their support for the Azerbaijani government in Baku.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan well explained
The tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan has its roots in distant times and revolves around the never resolved dispute for control of the region of Nagorno Karabakh, also known as the Republic of Artsakh.
This narrow portion of territory between the two countries aims to become independent as it is but only de facto, being the city Stepanakert considered the political capital of the territory. However, at the legal level, autonomous Nagorno Karabakh does not exist and no state in the world recognizes it as such.
Armenia and Azerbaijan claim their control with force and violence, in a war definition of borders and geographic and ethnic affiliations that has been maintained for decades.
Nagorno Karabakh is located on the territory of Azerbaijan but does not want to submit to its jurisdiction, since the population is majority Armenian, even if the region is geographically separated from Armenia.
The story helps to understand the reasons for such a violent tension without a stable solution on the horizon.
The status of the region has been questioned for at least 1918, when Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent from the Russian Empire. In the early 1920s, Soviet rule prevailed in the southern Caucasus and Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by Armenians, became an autonomous region within the then Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, with most decisions made in Moscow.
But decades later, when the Soviet Union began to crumble, it became clear that the Nagorno-Karabakh would have passed under the direct dominance of Azerbaijan. The Armenian population that mostly inhabited the region never accepted this step.
In 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh voted to join the Armenian republic, a request strongly opposed by both the Soviet Azerbaijani government and Moscow.
The situation got worse in those years. There have been complaints from both parties and serious episodes of ethnic cleansing. The war fuse exploded after Nagorno Karabakh declared its independence in 1991, following a referendum. The civil conflict between 1992 and 1993 caused 30,000 deaths and 1 million refugees.
The situation has stalled, to explode into new ones clashes in 2016 and recently in these last days.
War in the Caucasus: all the protagonists
The scene of a war between Armenia and Azarbaigian It also puts other protagonists into question, which is why the hypothesis of a heated conflict raises pereoccupazioni.
The Caucasus region is crucial and its control affects powers such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, the United States and Europe.
Erdogan It has already sided with Azerbaijan, considered an ally and from which to exploit the oil wealth. Not only that, hostility towards Armenia is shared by the Turkish government, which has always opposed the recognition of the Armenian genocide.
The RussiaInstead, he is the main supporter of Armenia, which without Moscow’s military aid could not compete with its rival.
Against this backdrop, Iran has offered to enter into peace talks and the United States has asked the parties to stop the violence. The UN and the European Union have also called for an end to military hostilities.
