Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh | “Empty” markets and residents in anguish

Since December 12, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been blocked. Store shelves are empty and power outages are frequent, testified to The Press a native Montrealer who lives in this contested region.

“It is as if Azerbaijan had cut off contact [du Haut-Karabakh] with the whole world,” sighs Huri Zohrabyan, a 26-year-old transcriber, joined by videoconference in Stepanakert.

Azerbaijani protesters paralyze the Lachin Corridor, the 32 km buffer zone linking Armenia to the approximately 120,000 Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who live in the disputed territory. Its inhabitants unilaterally declared their independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, designating Nagorno-Karabakh as the “Republic of Artsakh”. The gesture is not recognized by the international community, even if the enclave continues to govern itself.

The Azerbaijanis responsible for the blockade present themselves as opponents of mining in the region. An explanation rejected by the Armenian government, which sees it rather as an action of Azerbaijan, a country with an authoritarian regime.

“It’s pretty clear that these are not environmental protesters who are completely independent of power,” said Magdalena Dembinska, full professor at the University of Montreal, who recalls that a pass is necessary. to get to this corridor.

Stuck

The road closure has caused shortages, but also prevents residents of the enclave from returning to their homes. Children on a group trip to Yerevan have been staying for weeks in a hotel in the Armenian town of Goris, not far from the entrance to the Lachin corridor, according to Le Figaro. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev urged Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to leave the territory last week, according to The worldindicating that the way was open in that direction.

But the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh fear ceding ground to Azerbaijan, two years after a resumption of control of a portion of the territory by Azerbaijani forces. The 44-day war of fall 2020 saw Azerbaijani forces make gains in a first major military offensive since the 1994 ceasefire. For more than two decades, the conflict lay dormant, but never resolved. .

The 2020 ceasefire was concluded under the aegis of Russia. Without providing a lasting resolution.

“After the 2020 war, there is always the feeling of worry, we have no guarantee of what will happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in a month”, illustrates M^me Zohrabyan, settled in the region for more than a year, after her marriage to a man from Nagorno-Karabakh. “We are not certain of anything. »

Role of Russia

Russia sent peacekeepers during the ceasefire, especially in the Lachin corridor, for five years. The Armenians accuse these soldiers of not respecting the agreement by leaving the road blocked.

Russia is in a complex position with the two former Soviet republics, with the war in Ukraine presumably adding a level of difficulty. On the one hand, a treaty ensures the support of Russian troops in the event of an attack inside the Armenian borders – which excludes Nagorno-Karabakh. But Azerbaijan is not unaware that the forces of Moscow, with which it has important trade relations, are currently monopolized.

And, in the context of Western sanctions against Moscow, the Russian government may want to curry favor with Turkey, a great ally of Azerbaijan, Ms.^me Dembinska. By perhaps promoting, for example, the construction of a corridor in Meghri, in the south of Armenia, to connect the two countries – a project that worries the Armenians.

Empty markets and humanitarian aid

Faced with shortages in Stepanakert, ration coupons were distributed to residents this week.

The Red Cross, as a neutral organization, has carried out “several operations through the Lachin corridor” since December 19, International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Fatima Sator said in an email. These operations allowed the passage of 30 patients and the delivery to health establishments of 10 tons of food, infant formula and medicines. The food needs for the most vulnerable populations should thus be covered approximately until February 6, said Ms.^me Sator.

Despite the difficulties, Mr.^me Zohrabyan does not plan to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, wishing to ensure an Armenian presence there, even if the situation worries her greatly.

“Sometimes you are on a news page, you refresh and refresh, she illustrates. It’s as if your brain only works on: what’s going to happen, when are they going to unlock, when is it going to end, this problem, what is is that going to be the solution? »

With Agence France-Presse