Unsafe situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia considers evacuation possible
September 23, 2023, 4:26 a.m
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Nagorno-Karabakh is now under the control of Azerbaijan. What will happen next for the Armenians in the South Caucasus region is unclear. The federal government is concerned about the safety and care of people who feel abandoned by Russia, the protective power.
After Azerbaijan conquered the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus, which is predominantly inhabited by Armenians, the situation in the conflict region remains tense. Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said it was about the situation on site and the question of acute humanitarian care for the people. The Chancellor spoke out against military force and advocated a negotiated solution. For a sustainable solution to the conflict, the rights and security of the population in Karabakh must be guaranteed. The transparent humanitarian care and security of the people in Karabakh is now the responsibility of Azerbaijan, it said.
The Chancellor also emphasized respect for Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Nagorno-Karabakh is located on Azerbaijani territory, but is predominantly inhabited by Armenians and has long been contested between the two ex-Soviet republics. Last Tuesday, authoritarian-run Azerbaijan began a military operation to conquer the region. Just a day later, the defeated Karabakh Armenians surrendered.
Many Armenians accuse their traditional protecting power, Russia, which has also stationed its own soldiers on site, of having abandoned them. According to Armenian sources, more than 200 people were killed and more than 400 injured during the brief fighting. The tens of thousands of Armenian civilians in the region now fear being displaced or oppressed by the new Azerbaijani rulers.
Fighters give up their weapons
According to Russian sources, Armenian fighters have begun handing over their weapons. In accordance with Wednesday’s ceasefire agreement, the first weapons and military technology were delivered to the conflict region under the supervision of Russian soldiers, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. Armenia is preparing for a possible evacuation of its compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh if the situation there deteriorates. According to Prime Minister Pashinyan, 40,000 places have been prepared.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s foreign policy advisor, however, tried to allay fears of the Karabakh Armenians. Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev wrote on the social network X, formerly Twitter, that he made agreements in Baku with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC. Humanitarian aid could be brought to Karabakh via the Lachin corridor and from the Azerbaijani city of Agdam. The Lachin Corridor is the road connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian motherland, which Azerbaijan has kept closed for months.