2023-09-30 11:23:48
The self-proclaimed separatist republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is almost entirely deserted by its inhabitants this Saturday, September 30, with “100,417 people entered Armenia” over the last ten days according to Nazeli Baghdassarian, the spokesperson for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. According to official figures, around 120,000 Armenians lived in the enclave before its dramatic dissolution was announced earlier in the week, and Azerbaijan’s calls to stay appear to have had no effect.
“There are at most a few hundred civil servants, emergency workers, volunteers and people with special needs remaining, who are also preparing to leave”wrote on X (ex-Twitter) the former Nagorno-Karabakh rights mediator, Artak Beglarian, specifying that this information is not “not official”.
The rest after the ad
The UN announced the sending this weekend of a mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to mainly assess humanitarian needs, although the organization had not had access to this region “for about thirty years”.
Viewing this video may result in cookies being placed by the operator of the video platform to which you will be directed. Given the refusal of the deposit of cookies that you have expressed, in order to respect your choice, we have blocked the playback of this video. If you wish to continue and play the video, you must give us your consent by clicking the button below.
Play video
Fear of retaliation
The enclave decreed the dissolution on Thursday “of all government institutions (…) as of January 1, 2024”signaling the end of the existence of “the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh” self-proclaimed more than three decades ago. In a few days, more than 80% of the 120,000 official inhabitants left their homes for fear of reprisals by burning their personal belongings before joining the column of refugees.
In their flight on the only mountainous road linking the territory to Armenia, at least 170 people also died in the explosion on Monday of a fuel depot, according to a new report communicated by the police of the separatist forces. Many motorists had stopped at this station located on the outskirts of the ” capital “ Stepanakert, one of the few still in service. The accident also left 349 people injured, most of them suffering from serious burns.
This predominantly Christian region, which seceded from predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan at the disintegration of the USSR, opposed Baku for more than three decades, notably during two wars between 1988 and 1994 and the fall 2020. Among the refugees met by AFP in Goris, all recount the terror of the arrival of enemy soldiers. And most, in this ultra-militarized region where all men have experience of the army and combat, say they have burned their uniforms, military documents, and sometimes much more.
The rest after the ad
“No one believes in the possibility of the two communities coexisting. Neither the Armenians nor the Azeris are prepared for this option”, estimates Bayram Balci, researcher at Sciences Po in France. If this uninterrupted flow has revived fears of a “ethnic cleansing”he emphasizes that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh “went away on their own”. “I find this much more worrying” that if they had been chased away, he adds, believing that only “5 to 10,000 inhabitants will perhaps stay” on the spot.
In an Armenia overwhelmed by exiles, anger is now brewing. Opponents of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, accused of passivity in the face of Baku’s lightning victory, planned to organize a rally this Saturday after having muted their criticism in recent days. Yerevan blames Russia, a traditional ally supposed to guarantee full respect of the ceasefire since 2020 and which did not intervene. Moscow must now discuss with Azerbaijan the future of its now obsolete peacekeeping mission.
#NagornoKarabakh #emptying #inhabitants #refugees #Armenia