The weeks-long conflict that erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia resulted in 90,000 civilians fleeing the area, as Azeri forces advance on the key strategic town of Shusha.
Zaur Mammadov, Chairman of the Baku Club of Political Scientists, a think tank, told the Wall Street Journal this is “the most important moment now in the military conflict because today battles are taking place in the depths of Karabakh, for the most important settlements, for the most important cities. The continuation of military conflict and hostilities depends on the results.”
The WSJ reported the recent clash began on 27 September, and the fighting is approaching Shusha, which is ten miles from Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Whoever controls Shusha controls Artsakh,” Arayik Harutyunyan, Karabakh’s separatist leader, told the AFP. The Armenian government’s information center said, “Multiple attempts by Azerbaijani offensive units on Shusha were also repelled.”
The clash risks destabilizing the region and dragging Russia and Turkey into the fight. The Journal reported a human rights ombudsman from Nagorno-Karabakh said 50 Armenian civilians died in the clashes, and 146 have been injured. There have been ceasefire agreements, but both sides accused the other of violating them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call on 7 November and vowed to continue to work on mediation efforts. Radio Free Europe reported that Putin spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish leader said Armenia must withdraw from Azerbaijan and then sit down to negotiate.
TRENDPOST: Following Azerbaijan’s seizing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s second-largest city, it was reported that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashiyan signed a peace agreement to end the fighting.
In what appears to be a loss for Armenia, Pashiyan said on Facebook, “I have signed a statement on the termination of the Karabakh war with Russian and Azerbaijani presidents,” and the deal “is unbelievably painful for me and our people.”
Anti-War.com reports as part of the deal, Russian and Turkish peacekeepers will patrol Nagorno-Karabakh.
