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BURNED GROUND: An Armenian soldier passes a burning house in Kalbajar before the weekend. Photo: MAURICIO LIMA / NYTNS
The peace agreement imposed on Armenia has sparked coup attempts against the prime minister and major unrest. In conquered areas, houses are burned before retreat.
A packed caravan of cars, laden with everything fleeing people can get from a life they have to leave behind, escapes from the Kalbajar area in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The people in the cars, ethnic Armenian separatists, should have been out of the area by now. But since there is only one exit and it has a stagnant queue, the deadline to evacuate has been extended.
The victor of the war that has raged for the past six weeks, Azerbaijan, has given Armenia an additional ten days to withdraw its forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh areas.
VG Special: Whoever controls the road wins the war
CHAOS: As houses on the hillside are burned down, the civilian population is trying to leave an area that will soon be occupied by Azerbaijan. Photo: Dmitry Lovetsky / AP
Since late September, Armenian separatists, led by Armenia, have been fighting neighboring Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
The region is officially part of Azerbaijan, but has been ruled for three decades by Armenia, which has also expanded the area around the enclave. The Armenian splinters have barricaded themselves in fortifications and vowed never to give up a piece of land that they always thought belonged to them.
But with the help of Turkish drones, Azerbaijan bombed the Armenian lines and killed 2,317 Armenian soldiers. Last week, the separatists were forced to their knees and the Armenian prime minister had to accept a ceasefire that is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
Background: Turkey’s role in the Armenian conflict
LEFT NOTHING: Armenian escapees burn their houses instead of leaving them in Azerbaijan.
burn
Kalbajar is the first of several areas in Nagorno-Karabakh that Armenia agreed to return to Azerbaijan.
But when the victor takes over, they come to the burned villages: this weekend, many Armenians set their houses on fire before leaving the area.
– This is my home. I can’t leave it to the Turks. Everyone is going to burn down their houses today, an Armenian resident tells AFP news agency, as he throws burning boards and gasoline-soaked rags at his empty house.
Armenians, who are primarily Orthodox Christians, often refer to Azerbaijanis, who are mostly Muslim, as “Turks,” NTB writes.
The russians are coming
The peace agreement, negotiated by Russia, means that Armenia must give up control of areas that are populated mainly by ethnic Armenians.
THE RUSSIANS TO SECURE: Almost two thousand Russian soldiers must secure the border areas. Photo: Dmitry Lovetsky / AP
The two sides will exchange prisoners of war, others arrested and fallen. Russia will contribute about 2,000 peacekeeping forces in the region.
While there were jubilant scenes in the Azerbaijani capital this weekend, and President Ilham Aliyev allowed himself to be greeted in military uniform, the situation is quite the opposite in the Armenian capital Yerevan.
There have been demonstrations with more than 10,000 people over the weekend, and Prime Minister Nikol Pasjinian is called a “traitor” for accepting the ceasefire. On Sunday he was rescued by the security service from a murder and a coup attempt.
THE WINNER: Azerbaijani President Ilham Ilayev and his wife Mehriban, pictured this weekend. Photo: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF AZERBAIJAN
Unresolved area
The two parties will maintain the positions acquired during the matches. This means that Azerbaijan will regain 15 to 20 percent of its previously lost territory, including the strategically important city of Shusha.
Three districts that Armenia has occupied will be returned to Azerbaijan in December, NTB writes: Kalbajar, Agdam and Latsjin.
This means that the only highway between the enclave and Armenia, the so-called Latchin Corridor, will be surrounded by areas controlled by Azerbaijan. Russian units with vehicles and special equipment will ensure peace.
The agreement says nothing about the future state of the Armenian-populated areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, or how future negotiations to end the conflict will be conducted.
This is what the map looked like before the war broke out, see the fact box below for more details on the ceasefire:
REGION IN DISPUTE: Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas at the start of hostilities. Photo: Graphics: Tom Byermoen
Stop the fire:
* The agreement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pasjinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
* Russia will contribute to the peacekeeping forces in the region, including 1,960 military personnel with light weapons and 90 armored personnel carriers.
* The peacekeeping mission will last for five years and the effort will automatically renew for five years as long as neither party withdraws from the agreement.
* Internally displaced persons and refugees from Azerbaijan will return to the region and nearby districts that were previously under Armenian control.
* The two parties will carry out the exchange of prisoners of war, other detainees and fallen.
* Armenia will guarantee cross-country transport from Azerbaijan to the country’s enclave Nakhichevan, which is located on the border with Turkey.
(Source: NTB / AFP)
