Baerbock calls for an end to the violence
Nagorno-Karabakh reports first fatalities after attacks
September 19, 2023, 4:57 p.m
Azerbaijan claims that its attacks on the Nagorno-Karabakh region are only aimed at eliminating military targets. However, images from hospitals show, among other things, injured children and there are also fatalities. The accusation of “ethnic cleansing” is becoming louder.
According to local sources, several civilians have been killed and injured in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region as a result of the Azerbaijani military operation. “According to information so far, the Azerbaijani attacks have caused at least two deaths, including one child, and eleven injuries, including eight children,” wrote the internationally unrecognized republic’s human rights commissioner, Gegam Stepanyan, on X (formerly Twitter).
Baku justified its military operation with alleged violations of the ceasefire and the “restoration of constitutional order”. The Foreign Ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) region, which is predominantly inhabited by Armenians, accused Azerbaijan of seeking ethnic cleansing in the region. The military operation is therefore only an intensification of the policy that Azerbaijan has already pursued with previous attacks and the complete blockade of the region.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock demanded that Azerbaijan immediately end the military action in Nagorno-Karabakh. “Azerbaijan must stop the shelling immediately and return to the negotiating table,” demanded the Green politician on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. She added: “The crucial thing is to protect the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. This is also the task of the Russian soldiers stationed there.” A lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia can only be achieved at the negotiating table.
Baerbock explained that the federal government supports the negotiations led by the European Union. “Given today’s escalation, these are more urgent than ever.” In the past few days in particular, there have been intensive discussions between the EU and USA with Armenia and Azerbaijan on de-escalation. Baku’s promise to refrain from military measures has been broken.
Christian Orthodox Armenia and Muslim Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus have been enemies for decades. The biggest point of contention is the affiliation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In the 1990s, the local population, supported by Yerevan, broke away from Baku. In 2020, Azerbaijan, which was well-equipped thanks to oil and gas revenues, managed to take revenge. The country recaptured large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a war. The ceasefire that was subsequently negotiated has also been broken several times.
For months, Azerbaijan has also been blocking the Lachin corridor as the last connection between the Armenian heartland and Nagorno-Karabakh. The humanitarian situation in the conflict region was therefore considered catastrophic even before the new fighting broke out.