The dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a long-standing conflict that dates back to the early 1990s. Azerbaijan is a majority-Muslim country, while Armenia is a majority-Christian country. The two countries are in a state of limbo, as neither side has been able to gain a decisive victory over the other. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of thousands of people and has led to a human rights crisis in the region. Azerbaijan has been accused of attacking Armenian civilians and of indiscriminately shelling civilian areas. The conflict has been further complicated by the involvement of other regional powers, such as Iran and Russia. If you’re playing at a live casino now, tune in to the news to see what’s happening between the two countries.
How The Conflict Began
The primary source of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus that’s mostly populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians.
Artsakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, situated between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur. The region is mostly populated by Armenians and Artsakh Armenians.
Artsakh is a de facto independent state with steadily increasing international recognition. The Republic is a unitary, multi-party democracy with an elected president, unicameral legislature, and judicial branch. Its de facto independence was declared on September 2, 1991, by the Nagorno-Karabakh Supreme Soviet in step with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The landlocked state borders Armenia to the east and Azerbaijan to the west. Azerbaijan has blockaded the landlocked Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from all sides, making land and air travel very difficult for the Armenian population in the state.
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to 1994 between the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. The conflict began after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 when Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent nations. Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh voted to secede from Azerbaijan and declare independence, which led to a war between the two countries.
Azerbaijan has breached the ceasefire many times in recent years, most recently in April 2016, September 2020, and September 2022. The country has been accused of doing so in order to make territorial gains or to try and force Armenia into a peace agreement on Azerbaijan’s terms. Azerbaijan denies these charges, saying that its military actions are only in response to alleged Armenian aggression, which has proven to be false.
Azerbaijan’s Attack on Armenia
Azerbaijani Armed Forces started a significant military operation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border beginning at 12:05 a.m. on September 13 utilizing artillery and drones largely after accusing Armenian Armed Forces of days of shooting on Azerbaijani positions. The military attack is especially directed towards the villages of Goris, Sotk, and Jermuk as well as others nearby. The Armenian Defense Ministry acknowledged that Azerbaijani soldiers also attacked civilian facilities. These military actions are direct assaults on Armenia as a whole and remain independent of the situation in Artsakh.
Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, declared on public television that the international community’s engagement made it possible to reach a ceasefire accord. Grigoryan didn’t offer any other information. Without a deal, a cease-fire would not have been feasible, and Grigoryan expressed the hope that Azerbaijan will preserve the truce.
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s representative to the UN, reported that during a UN Security Council meeting held behind closed doors to call for an immediate end to hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russia briefed attendees on its efforts as well as the steps the CSTO had taken to de-escalate the situation. Nebenzya said that “the partners praised them” for their assistance and for giving intelligence on Russia’s activities.
He continued by saying that the members of the UN Security Council unanimously endorsed an early end to hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and a political-diplomatic solution to the conflict. A press release is currently being prepared, he said, and the Russian side insisted that it refer to the trilateral declarations that were signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia in 2020 and 2021 and that serve as the foundation for the normalization of relations between the two nations.
According to a statement by Artsakh’s president, Arayik Harutyunyan, no one can stop Artsakh from attaining worldwide recognition of its independence based on the right of people to self-determination. Harutyunyan continued, saying that Artsakh cannot and must not be a part of Azerbaijan for two reasons: first, its citizens determine their own fate in their own country, and second, Artsakh would not allow the genocide of its own. Any document that includes Artsakh inside the borders of Azerbaijan is unacceptable.
President of Freedom House Michael J. Abramowitz made the following statement in reaction to the continuous attacks by the Azerbaijani military on areas inside the Republic of Armenia:
“The Azerbaijani Armed Forces must immediately stop their lethal incursions into Armenian land and pledge their support for the ongoing peace negotiations being mediated by the EU, the US, and Russia. Instead of using drone attacks and artillery, Azerbaijan and Armenia’s relations should be handled via diplomacy and discussion.”
“Peace and security are due to the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on the U.S. administration, other democracies, and international organizations to demand an immediate end to the military operations against sovereign states because they have no place in the rules-based international system. We applaud French President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to participate in negotiations at the UN Security Council and implore democratic states to take more measures to safeguard Armenia’s territorial integrity.
