After Azerbaijan retook the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in the South Caucasus, nearly 85,000 people took refuge in Armenia. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) criticized the Azerbaijani military offensive and demanded “security guarantees” from Baku for the Karabakh Armenians. In view of other conflicts in the region, the minister sees “the potential for a huge fire in the South Caucasus.” Meanwhile, the death toll after a fuel depot explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh has risen to at least 170.
At the same time, Schallenberg announced two million euros in aid for the Karabakh refugees in the “Tyroler Tageszeitung” from additional funds from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). They are intended to benefit the displaced through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Armenia is an ADA priority country.
Authorities: Nagorno-Karabakh will be dissolved on January 1
During a military offensive last week, authoritarian-ruled Azerbaijan completely retook the region, which had been fought over for decades. The leadership of the internationally unrecognized Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) subsequently capitulated and this week also sealed its self-dissolution on January 1, 2024. The Azerbaijani government and Russia, considered Armenia’s protecting power, had stated that there would be no was a reason to flee. However, the Karabakh Armenians fear persecution and violence from Azerbaijan.
“Ethnic cleansing”
In Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused the neighboring country of “ethnic cleansing” during a government meeting on Thursday evening. “The analysis of the situation shows that in the coming days there will be no Armenian left in Nagorno-Karabakh.” In the past, there were conflicts between Christian Karabakh Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis.
Refugee center established
According to the Armenian government, a humanitarian center for the refugees has been set up near Nagorno-Karabakh. The government spokeswoman said the people were being given shelter. Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Commissioner Gegam Stepanyan said at least 200 people were killed and around 400 injured in Azerbaijan’s latest military offensive. The Azerbaijani team also reported losses within its own ranks.
Already 170 dead after fuel depot explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh
After the explosion of a fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh, the number of deaths has now risen to at least 170, according to local authorities. The government of the self-proclaimed republic announced this on Friday. Authorities previously estimated 68 deaths and about 200 injuries. The fuel depot exploded on Monday evening.
After the Azerbaijani military offensive against pro-Armenian fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh, many people there stocked up on fuel to flee to Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan under international law, but that is where the majority of ethnic Armenians live. The region declared independence in 1991 after a referendum that was not internationally recognized and boycotted by the Azerbaijani minority.
Region is controversial
The region has been disputed for decades between the warring ex-Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia. In the 1990s, Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies on Azerbaijani territory but is predominantly inhabited by Armenians, was able to break away from Baku in a bloody civil war with the help of Yerevan. Azerbaijan, which is militarily armed thanks to oil and gas revenues, initially managed to recapture large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. A Russian-brokered ceasefire proved fragile.
Source: Krone
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