Defence Journal, UK
 Sunday


A Glimpse of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

by Attiq ur Rehman


The Caucasus region located between the waters of the Black and
Caspian Seas is connecting European and Asian continents
territorially. The area of Caucasus is mainly occupied by six states –
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey. The mountainous
terrain of this region is divided between Northern and Southern parts
of Caucasia populated by generally Christian and Muslim communities.
The rich cultures of the Caucasian states attract tourists from around
the world and Azerbaijan is considered to be the richest state of this
region. The oil-wealthy Azerbaijan touches the Caspian waters in
contrast to the diverse landscape of Georgia which borders the waters
of Black sea.

Both states are commonly known as the regional points of greater
attraction for international community. Additionally, the mixed
terrain of Armenia touches the borders of Iran and Turkey, and is the
third main state of Caucasia. The greater Caucasian mountains region
consisting of three states borders the Russian Federation in the
north. Russian areas of Krasnodar, Stavropol Krai, Rostov Oblast,
Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia North Ossetia, Chechnya,
Dagestan, and Ingushetia share the borers with Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The historical strings of Caucasia remained under the influence of its
surroundings Iranian, Turkish, and Russian civilizations. It is the
region where Iran, Russia and Turkey are only separated by three
states-Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.

The history of the Caucasian region cannot be completed without
discussing the ongoing territorial issues of Nagorno-Karabakh which
has become a protracted dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The
governments of both states adopted inflexible positions over the land
of Karabakh in the post-Soviet era, and in this way the scope of
regional peace and stability deteriorated. It is an ethnic and
territorial conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the
Republic of Armenia.

Initially, the historical demise of Soviet Union in the end of
decades-long period of Cold War laid the foundations of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan, former Soviet
Republics, entered in a phase of an unending conflict immediately
after the disintegration of Soviet Union. The efforts of the
international community for the peaceful resolution of Karabakh
conflict were always halted by stubborn positions of state officials
of both the contesting parties. Several attempts for installing a
permanent peace agreement acceptable to both parties remained an
unrealistic dream.

The history of Karabakh under violence started when the Armenian
government preferred to send their armed forces against Azerbaijan in
1992 which occupied 20% of Azerbaijani land, including
Nagorno-Karabakh, and expelled around 1 million Azeri citizens. The
Azeri areas under Armenian occupation are Kalbajar, Lachin, Gubadli,
Zangilan, Jabrayil, Fizuli, Khojavend, Shusha Khojaly, Khankendi,
Agdam, and Agdere.

These twelve areas were captured by the Armenian army and in this way,
the wave of bloodshed initiated by Armenia turned the South Caucus
regional politics into violence, and deteriorated the scope of peace
and stability in the region. In short, the end of the twentieth
century embraced an unexplainable wave of bloodshed after the Cold War
and the Caucasus region started to witness a series of tragic
incidents.

The Armenian aggression sparked a wave of massive human rights
violations and causalities of the Karabakh residents. Estimates show
that the military raids by the Armenian army has caused 20,000 deaths,
4,866 persons went missing, and 100,000 were injured. Moreover, 50,000
people have suffered injures of varying severity and became disabled.
The humanitarian efforts of Baku has accommodated over one million
refugees including Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Azerbaijan.

The genesis of Karabakh land are fundamentally inherited in
Azerbaijan, because most importantly, it is one of the ancient regions
of Azerbaijan. The name of this area which is internationally
recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan is rooted in Azeri
language. Karabakh is a combination of two words of Azeri language –
Kara (meaning Black) and Bakh (meaning Garden).

Similar to its name, the people of Karabakh share a multi-dimensional
history with the Azeri people. Initially, the area of Karabakh was
considered to be a historical and geographical location of Caucasia
which later became an undeniable part of larger Azerbaijan land. The
region of Karabakh covers a total area of 4,400 square kilometres and
is located territorially on the southwest of Azerbaijan. Parallel to
Azerbaijan, this mountainous areas touches the Armenian borders as
well.

In order to clear the Azerbaijani positon over the land of Karabakh,
the president of Azerbaijan and the founding father of Azeri nation,
Heydar Aliyev stated, “Azerbaijan does not plan to use the difficult
situation in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to achieve its own military
objectives. This, despite the fact that in 1991-1993 Armenia took
advantage of the internal tensions within Azerbaijan to occupy our
lands. We support peace. We don't consider a military solution
acceptable.” The Foreign Affairs Advisor to President Heydar Aliyev,
Vafa Guluzade, during an interview to an American news agency said
“The condition of war and lack of any settlement greatly damages both
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

However, Azerbaijan has more potential than Armenia. If the status quo
continues, Azerbaijan will achieve much more than Armenia. This is
obvious. But I would not like to have Armenia as a starving,
embittered and “armed-to-the-teeth” neighbour. It is in the best
interests of both of our countries to reach peace and develop together
rather than annihilate each other.”

Hafiz Pashayev, Azerbaijani ambassador to United States, during a
conference on Azerbaijani economy described his position on Karabakh
issue, “I'm optimistic about the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict for one simple reason: both history and facts are not on the
side of extremists in Armenia. History in the 21st century will not be
on the side of aggression. History will not favour those who create a
million refugees and then claim they themselves are the victims. And
history will not be kind to those who live in the past but do not
learn from it.”

Several arguments expressed by leaders from diverse backgrounds show
the significance of the Karabakh conflict in world politics. The
President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, during an official visit of
Azerbaijan said, “The world has closed its eyes to the humanitarian
catastrophe in Azerbaijan, where every seventh citizen is a refugee.
The vast majority of these refugees originate from Azerbaijani
districts occupied by Armenian troops outside of Karabakh proper. I am
convinced that Armenia does not gain anything from having created this
situation; in fact, it only loses.”

In 1996, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSEC) at Lisbon Summit accepted the lack of progressive development
for the peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict. Three principle were
recommended by the Co-Chairman of the Minsk Conference. The member
states of the Mink Group provided their support to the following three
principles.

1. Territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic;

2. Legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh defined in an agreement based on
self-determination which confers on Nagorno-Karabakh the highest
degree of self-rule within Azerbaijan;

3. Guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and its whole population,
including mutual obligations to ensure compliance by all the Parties
with the provisions of the settlement.

The Minsk Group was created by OSCE in 1992 for the promotion of
harmonious environment to carry peaceful negotiations which could
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh decisively. Minsk Group or commonly known
as Minsk Process is co-chaired by Paris, Moscow, and Washington. The
Group comprises permanent members – Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden,
Finland, and Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
unproductive progress of the Minsk Group is inherited in the role of
co-chaired countries which are France, Russian Federation and United
States with which the Armenian government has cultivated cooperative
relations. Moreover, the three countries are accommodating a large
number of Armenian citizens in their lands.

Prior to 1996, the OSCE’s meetings at Helsinki on March 24, 1992 and
at Budapest on December 5-6, 1994 emphasized the scope of peaceful
settlement of armed conflict between the Caucasian states over the
Nagorno-Karabakh land. Furthermore, the ninth session of the Islamic
Summit Conference in Doha focused on the Karabakh conflict during its
session of Peace and Development.

This meeting of Muslim countries passed a resolution (Resolution No.
21/9-P (IS) on the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia Against the
Republic of Azerbaijan) on December 12-13, 2000. Above all, the role
of United Nations analogues to other territorial disputes of
international system remained theoretically so much active. On
December 20, 1993, the 85th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly passed
a resolution (Resolution A/RES/48/114) calling Emergency International
Assistance to Refugees and Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan.

The efforts of the international community failed to produce positive
results and the Karabakh conflict became one of the major conflicts of
post-Soviet era. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted
several resolutions for the peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict
but the role of UNSC remained largely ineffective in implementing its
resolutions. UNSC passed four resolutions, Resolution 822-adopted on
April 30, 1993, Resolution 853-adopted on July 29, 1993, Resolution
874-adopted on October 14, 1993, and Resolution 884-adopted on
November 12, 1993.

The Armenian leaders obsessed with anti-Azeri behaviour do not agree
with the four UNSC resolutions which are principally designed to
liberate the occupied areas of Karabakh. Armenia's official inflexible
position over the Karabakh conflict cemented in violent military
operations is unable to accept the role of UNSC, and the government of
Armenia is unwilling to compromise its stance over the land of
Karabakh.

Armenian foreign relations with great powers and its anti-Azeri
lobbying around the global have placed the Karabakh issue at a low
priority of the international community. The people living in the
world’s capitals seem less inclined towards Caucasian peace on the
basis of their cooperative and diplomatic connections with Armenian
government. Therefore, the hostile status of Karabakh has become one
of the most terrible pictures of human rights violations in the
history of mankind. The ethnocentric claims of Armenia is cemented in
their brutal armed policies against the Azeri people, it has launched
a massive campaign of negating Azerbaijani legitimate claims over
Karabakh region.

No doubt, the chances for a peaceful resolution of this conflict
remains a most desired objective of the international community, but
the leaders around the world are reluctant in forcing the Armenian
government towards a peaceful settlement of Karabakh dispute. The
belligerent attitude of Armenia has not only caused massive human
rights violations, but it has also endangered the scope of regional
peace and prosperity. A more meaningful role of the great powers is
now needed to resolve the Karabakh dispute peacefully, and to stop the
Armenian aggression against bordering nations. The suspension of
Armenian armed violence is a viable option which could lead the
international community towards a peaceful solution.