Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev spoke on Wednesday, September 20, to proclaim the victory of Baku’s troops in their lightning offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh against Armenian separatists.
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They ” have started » to surrender, declared the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev, this Wednesday in a solemn declaration on television. He spoke of the separatists of the Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh, ensuring that the latter are now leaving their military positions on the ground.
The head of state specified that Azerbaijan had destroyed “ most » of the forces and equipment of the separatists, concluding that his country had “ restored its sovereignty » in the enclave.
The ceasefire announced in advance this Wednesday between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists is for the moment respected, for their part declared the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in this region of all discord. “ No ceasefire violations recorded », they say.
According to this Russian contingent, among the civilian population, some 3,154 people, including 1,428 children, were evacuated by them. An unknown number of civilians were also escorted by Armenian separatists.
Russia insists: this crisis is in its eyes “ internal affair » azerbaijaniasis. That ” there is no doubt », Declared the Kremlin spokesperson, relayed by the Interfax agency. “ Azerbaijan acts on its own territory, which is recognized by the Armenian leadership », Specified Dmitri Peskov, from the same source.
For his part, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ensures, through his spokesperson on the social network Facebook, that he discussed the situation on the telephone with President Putin this Wednesday.
Thousands of people demonstrated in the afternoon again in front of the Armenian government headquarters in Yerevan, where the prime minister is being targeted for failing to send aid to the separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh in the last 24 hours. Some are calling for his departure.
On the ground, more than 10,000 people, including women, children and the elderly, were evacuated from their homes to other areas of the region, according to an official from the separatist camp.
The latter, Ghegham Stepanian, rights mediator for Karabakh, specifies that these people have “not no adequate food, medicine or basic hygiene products “. He speaks of a “ disaster “.
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(With agencies)