The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Azerbaijan to end the blockade of the Lachin corridor, a vital highway linking the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave with Armenia in the South Caucasus. The blockade, which has been in place since mid-December, has caused a humanitarian crisis for the 120,000 mostly Armenian inhabitants of the enclave, who are deprived of food and medical supplies. The ICJ ruling is a small diplomatic victory for Armenia, as it recognizes the blockade, warns of its consequences, and highlights Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian racial politics.

The two former Soviet republics, Armenia and Azerbaijan, have been in conflict since the early 1990s, when they clashed over control of Nagorno Karabakh, a mountainous territory populated mainly by Armenians. This first conflict caused 30,000 deaths and resulted in an Armenian victory, but Azerbaijan took revenge by launching a second war in the fall of 2020. This offensive allowed Baku to take control of numerous territories, including Shusha, a strategic city located 15 kilometers from the separatist capital. In November, a ceasefire was signed under the aegis of Russia, ending six weeks of fighting that had left nearly 6,500 dead.

The fragile peace negotiations between the two countries have since been fruitless, and the effects of the blockade are being felt harshly due to the growing number of deficiencies. There is a lack of medicines, food, fruits, vegetables and powdered milk for children, as well as hygiene products. Russian peacekeeping troops have started to provide some humanitarian aid, but it is not enough to cover the needs of all the inhabitants or to ward off the specter of a humanitarian crisis.

The ICJ ruling is an important step, but it is too early to tell whether it will directly support a swift lifting of the blockade. Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, could potentially play a role in the conflict, but it is still too early to tell. Russia, the traditional mediator in the conflict, is also at risk of losing its footing in the South Caucasus if it cannot play the role of policeman. The risk for the Armenians is to be caught between the geopolitical conflicts of the West and Russia. Ultimately, the ICJ ruling is a small victory, but it is a step in the right direction in the hopes of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

https://www.alaskacommons.com/armenia-wins-diplomatic-victory-at-icj/