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In this image from the Armenian Ministry of Defense on Sunday, September 27, 2020, the Armenian army is destroying Azerbaijani tanks. Bild: Ministry of Defense of Armenia AP
Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh +++ Imposed state of war +++ Iran wants to mediate
How is the situation?
One day after the escalation of violence between warring neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan, fighting continues for the unrest region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Both sides reported shelling on Monday morning. During the night, the fighting continued with varying degrees of intensity, as announced by the spokeswoman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense. The opposing side is said to have used heavy equipment and artillery that morning. The Azerbaijani army said that Armenian forces had shelled the city of Terter on the Nagorno-Karabakh border. Armenia is being warned about “appropriate countermeasures,” she said.
What happened?
The clashes between the countries began early Sunday morning. The capital of Nagorno-Karabach, Stepanakert, is said to have been shot. Both countries blamed each other for the fighting and declared a state of war. In Azerbaijan, there are also night curfews in some regions.
After intense fighting with many deaths and injuries in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region, neighboring countries at war, Armenia and Azerbaijan, are now at war. In Azerbaijan, this went into effect on Monday evening, as President Ilham Aliyev decided at the weekend. In the former Soviet republic there are supposed to be curfews in some parts of the country. In Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mobilized the population in Yerevan on Sunday and declared a state of war throughout the country. Azerbaijan had previously launched a military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh and had captured several villages.
Armenian soldiers along the front line in Tavush (file image, July 14, 2020). Image: keystone
The Armenian-controlled region with an estimated 145,000 inhabitants belongs to Islamic Azerbaijan under international law. It is the worst escalation in decades.
In Nagorno-Karabakh, 16 soldiers were shot dead and more than 100 wounded, according to official information. Azerbaijan announced that there were five dead and wounded in its own ranks. Armenia claimed that 200 soldiers died on the opposite side. However, Baku did not confirm this. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, civilians are among the victims.
Both sides blamed each other for the fighting. Armenia claimed on Sunday night that Turkey allegedly supported Azerbaijan. The Yerevan Ministry of Defense has information on this; that Turkish weapons were used, for example. Prime Minister Pashinyan also emphasized during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron that Turkey was behaving very aggressively. Ankara must be prevented from interfering in this conflict. So far there has been no reaction from Turkey.
Armenia on Sunday published images of Azerbaijani tanks allegedly destroyed. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, denies the tank losses. Image: keystone
Iran offers mediation
Iran has offered to act as a mediator in the conflict between the two neighboring states, Armenia and Azerbaijan, over Nagorno-Karabakh. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Said Chatibsadeh said on Sunday, according to the Isna news agency. Tehran is following the fighting in the southern Caucasus with great concern. “We call on both parties to exercise restraint, to end the conflict immediately and to resume negotiations,” he added. Tehran maintains good diplomatic relations with both states and has mediated the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the past.
That’s what the Armenian head of government says
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has interpreted the fighting in the troubled Nagorno-Karabakh region with the belligerent neighbor Azerbaijan as a declaration of war. The authoritarian regime of Aliyev resumed its hostilities. He has declared war on the Armenian people, ”Pashinyan said in a video he posted on Facebook on Sunday. Under the rule of Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh with heavy equipment. “We are ready for this war,” said the Armenian head of government.
The two warring South Caucasus republics blamed each other on Sunday for the upsurge in fighting in the region. Pashinyan called on the international community to do everything possible to prevent Turkey from intervening in the conflict. That could jeopardize the stability of the region. These dangerous developments must be stopped. We face a serious threat. Vigilance is required. “
How is the foreign country expressed?
Russia has called for an immediate end to the fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is holding intense talks to persuade the warring parties to stop the fire in the conflict region, the authority announced in Moscow on Sunday. Both countries would have to return to the negotiating table.
Germany and France called for the immediate cessation of the fighting and the resumption of dialogue. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) was alarmed by the new and massive clashes and reports of civilian casualties. “I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all fighting and, in particular, the bombing of towns and cities.” The OSCE Minsk Group is ready for negotiations with its three co-chairs, France, Russia and the United States. The OSCE is the organization for security and cooperation in Europe.
Charles Michel, Leader of the Council of the EU expressed deep concern in a tweet. The only way out is an immediate return to negotiations without preconditions. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, also said that the states in conflict must take responsibility and act with restraint. “By joining the Council of Europe, both countries promised to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, and this obligation must be strictly observed.
Europarat-Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić He stated that both countries must take responsibility and act with restraint. The fighting must stop immediately. “By joining the Council of Europe, both countries promised to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, and this obligation must be strictly observed. Pejčinović Burić called on both parties to do everything possible to protect human lives. “No effort should be spared to stop the escalation.”
Pope Francisco called for a peaceful solution to the conflict. “I pray for peace in the Caucasus,” he said in his Angelus message to believers in St. Peter’s Square. He called on the parties to the conflict to use “gestures of goodwill and brotherhood” to help ensure that problems are resolved not with violence and weapons, but through dialogue and negotiations. (sda / dpa)
What is it about?
The Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is controlled by Armenia, is part of the Islamic region of Azerbaijan under international law. Baku lost control of the Christian Armenian-inhabited area of Karabakh in a war that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. There has been a ceasefire in the region since 1994, but it has been repeatedly broken. The conflict escalated for the last time in 2016. More than 120 people died.
In July there was intense fighting on the border between the republics at war; however, the fighting took place hundreds of kilometers north of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia depends on Russia as a protective power, which has stationed thousands of soldiers and weapons there.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on both sides to stop the fire immediately. Baku and Yerevan should also start talks to stabilize the situation. Neighboring Turkey accused Armenia of violating international law. The Ankara Foreign Ministry announced that it strongly condemned the “Armenian attack”. Turkey is on the side of Azerbaijan. (jaw / bal / sda / dpa)
The update continues …
