The head of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Arayik Harutyunyan, said that a ceasefire in the region on Azerbaijan’s terms was “unacceptable” and threatened Baku with a “protracted war.”
To end the fighting, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev demands from Armenia to provide a schedule for the withdrawal of troops from Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent occupied Azerbaijani territories.
“We cannot accept a mandatory condition from a country whose goal is to destroy the people of Artsakh(state of Nagorno-Karabakh), the thousand-year-old culture of Artsakh, the very history of Artsakh (the region in which hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan have continued since September 27 – ed.) … Do they want a long war? We will not refuse if this particular war is imposed.
Harutyunyan also announced that he would “declare a patriotic war” and invite all Armenians “to take not only material but also physical participation”.
He accused Baku of “a desire to destroy the people, history and culture of Artsakh,” and Turkey, which supports Azerbaijan, of “attempts to create a new platform for international terrorism.”
According to the “President of Nagorno-Karabakh ,” the inhabitants of the unrecognized republic “want peace most of all,” and this is allegedly only the position of Baku that hinders this.
Previously Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed on a ceasefire from 12:00 on Saturday, October 10… The ceasefire was planned for the exchange of persons and bodies of the dead through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, its parameters were to be discussed separately.
A few hours after the start of the truce, it was disrupted, and the parties to the conflict accused each other of frustration.
Let us remind you that on the morning of September 27, the Karabakh conflict flared up with renewed vigor. The parties to the conflict – Armenia, and Azerbaijan – accused each other of offensive actions and rocket attacks on residential areas in the Artsakh region (present-day Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories).
Both states declared martial law, and Armenia also declared general mobilization.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1988 when the predominantly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan SSR. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions – 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan – are under the occupation of the armed forces of Armenia . In May 1994, the parties reached a ceasefire. The territorial conflict has not yet been resolved.
→ More about Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict on Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute.
Baku launched an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, seeking to restore sovereignty over the region. The coming days will show whether Azerbaijan will be able to achieve its goal. In the meantime, the Azerbaijani army took control of six settlements in the region and several strategic heights in the conflict zone.
