An Azerbaijani military offensive in the ethnic Armenian-controlled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, Sept. 19, raised concerns of a renewed violent conflict between the neighboring countries.
According to the New York Times, Armenian authorities reported that at least 200 people died from the Azerbaijani artillery and drone strikes. This included 10 civilians.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that multiple Russian peacekeepers were also killed.
The Azerbaijani government claimed these attacks were directed to “restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan” and pursue “anti-terrorist activities.” It also announced that only military installations and infrastructure were targeted, not intending for civilian injury.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally acknowledged as part of Azerbaijan. However, it is governed by unrecognized separatist Armenians, as many Armenians view this area as an ancestral homeland. It has been a disputed territory since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After two days, Azerbaijan successfully took military control of Nagorno-Karabakh following the Armenian separatist government’s surrender. Representatives from the two countries then met to negotiate the future of the disputed area for reintegration into Azerbaijan. According to the New York Times, delegates were escorted by Russian peacekeepers.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan implicitly criticized Russia for the lack of security in this region.
“If proper conditions are not created for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homes, and there are no effective protection mechanisms against ethnic cleansing, the likelihood is rising that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will see exile from their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity,” he said in a national address.
Over one thousand ethnic Armenians have fled Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia over fears of persecution and ethnic cleansing. Most people are evacuating by car. However, over 120,000 Armenians live in this contested area, highlighting that a mass exodus may soon take place.
As a result of increasing concern, Armenia has called for a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission to begin in the area to safeguard the large group of ethnic Armenians in the region. Ethnic Armenian officials reported that thousands are currently without food, and some are forced to sleep in basements, schools or outside, according to the BBC.
“The international community should undertake all the efforts for an immediate deployment of an interagency mission by the UN to Nagorno-Karabakh with the aim to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground,” Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
Contrasting Armenia’s alarm, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has claimed that the country seeks to protect “all rights and freedoms” of those living in the disputed territory.
Just last month, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warned of Azerbaijani plans for an Armenian genocide in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. However, a lawyer representing Azerbaijan asserted that these claims were “fundamentally flawed.”
Although Azerbaijan has emphasized its commitment to human rights, it is unknown if the government will honor these sentiments.
