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Nagorno-Karabakh journalist on Azerbaijan’s attack [1]

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Date: 2023-09

On 19 September, Azerbaijan declared a military operation against the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Its aim: to take full control of the breakaway territory, after nearly ten months of blockade.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory, but is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians and their unrecognised local government. Nagorno-Karabakh was previously connected to Armenia itself via a road, the Lachin Corridor. The blockade, organised by alleged Azerbaijani environmental activists, cut access to food, fuel and medicine.

After 24 hours of fierce fighting, in which local authorities claim that more than 200 people were killed and 400 wounded, Azerbaijani and Nagorno-Karabakh forces declared a ceasefire at around midday on 20 September. Their state representatives are set to meet on the future status of Karabakh Armenians under Azerbaijani rule today. Tens of thousands of refugees have moved to the airport in the enclave’s capital, Stepanakert, and there are reports that the ceasefire has been broken.

Journalist Marut Vanyan, based in Stepanakert, told openDemocracy about how the “one-day war” started, the chaos and fear – and his hopes for the future.

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“When they first closed the road, everyone, almost everyone, in Karabakh said it’s going to happen for ten days, one week. All the time people were saying new dates,” Vanyan said.

“But in reality, it has led to this day. No one, including me, I didn’t expect something like this.”

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[1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/nagorno-karabakh-armenia-azerbaijan-war-ceasefire-on-the-ground/

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