Updated 17:37 | Posted 17:26
On Tuesday, Azerbaijan began a military “operation” against the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The disputed area has been the victim of many conflicts.
These are five points about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
1. Geography
Nagorno-Karabakh, known as the Artsakh of Armenia, is a mountainous and landlocked region located within the borders of Azerbaijan. The region is internationally considered part of Azerbaijan’s territory but its population, which has a predominantly Armenian population, has for decades refused Azerbaijani rule. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the region has been self-governing with the support of Armenia.
2. A prolonged conflict
In 1991, a war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the area. Three years and over 30,000 casualties later, the warring parties agreed on a truce. After the war, Armenia continued to control Nagorno-Karabakh and also almost a tenth of Azerbaijan’s land area.
In 2020, a 44-day long conflict broke out. This time, Azerbaijani forces quickly broke through the Armenian defensive line. Azerbaijan retook seven districts and almost a third of Karabakh. These conflicts also ended in a truce in which Azerbaijan declared itself victorious. Even after this signing, the region has been seen as a breakaway region under Armenia.
3. The 2022 blockades
On December 12, 2022, a blockade of the road into Nagorno-Karabakh was established at the Lachin Corridor. Something Armenia thought Azerbaijan was behind, while Azerbaijan denied this. In the past, there have also been reports from aid organizations such as the Red Cross that it was difficult to get supplies to the area such as medicines. Something that increased tensions between the countries and Nagorno-Karabakh.
4. 19 September 2023
On Tuesday, September 19, the reports came. Azerbaijan announced that it will carry out a military “action” with the aim of combating terrorist activities in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
For several weeks, Armenia has warned that Azerbaijan has moved its troops closer to the border. A border that is considered one of the most militarized in the world.
There have been reports of shelling of towns and several killed and injured in the attacks.
5. What happens now?
What will happen next is hard to say, but the concerns about a humanitarian disaster and what the conflict will lead to are great.
The EU has called on Azerbaijan to stop its military action against the region. At the same time, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French President Emmanuel Macron. All three agree that the conflict must be de-escalated.
Armenia has also called on the UN Security Council and the Russian peacekeepers in the region to stop the military operation.
Russia itself has called on the countries to suspend and return to diplomacy.