The Nagorno Karabakh conflict takes his name from the region where it took place. Karabakh is one of the ancient historical regions of Azerbaijan; the name is a combination of the notions “gara” (black, big) and “bagh” (garden, land). The word “Karabakh” first appeared in primary sources of the 7th century, as a name given by Azerbaijani people to their land.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict went down in modern history as one of the most tragic conflicts of the 21st century and its outcomes drastically affected the fate of millions of Azerbaijanis. Territorial claims of Armenia against the Azerbaijani people and Azerbaijan are the main reasons for the so-called “Karabakh problem’’ and the strategy is the establishment of Great Armenia Republic.
Azerbaijanis were deliberately expelled from their territories in 1905-1906, 1918-1920, 1948-1953. Some of them, including the elderly and children, died of unbearable conditions during the purposeful deportation process, severe climate change, physical violence, and moral suffering. When pro-Armenian M.S.Gorbachyov was elected the head of USSR in 1985, Armenians intensified their activity again.
As a result of Armenia’s aggression, more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, while more than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed in military operations and over 50,000 became disabled. The fate of 3,889 Azerbaijanis, including 71 children, 267 women and 326 elderly people, who went missing as a result of the conflict, as well as 871 people taken prisoner and hostage, is unknown.
International law on ‘Karabagh conflict’
The world order depends on U.N. principles and two main internationally legally binding documents which are U.N. Charter and Security Council resolutions. According to the U.N. Charter, states’ territorial integrity is more crucial than people’s right to self-determination. In this way, the U.N. Charter applies to the Nagorno Karabakh clash, as well as to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. The most important UN documents on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict are resolutions 822, 853, 874, 884 adopted by the Security Council in 1993.
All the U.N. resolutions about Karabagh conflict
Resolution 822 Adopted by the Security Council at its 3205th meeting, on 30 April 1993:
- Calls for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all occupying forces from the Kelbajar district and other recently occupied areas of the Republic of Azerbaijan
- Expresses its support for the peace process to be pursued within the framework of the CSCE.
Resolution 853 Adopted by the Security Council at its 3259th meeting, on 29 July 1993:
- Requires the immediate cessation of all hostilities
- Calls on the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the district of Agdam and other recently occupied areas of the Republic of Azerbaijan
- Reaffirms UN Resolution 822
- Endorses the continuing efforts by the Minsk Group of the CSCE to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Resolution 874 Adopted by the Security Council at its 3292nd meeting, on 14 October 1993:
- States the preservation of the ceasefire, cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of forces from recently occupied districts of the Republic of Azerbaijan
- Reaffirms UN Resolutions 822 and 853
- Reiterates again its full support for the peace process being pursued within the framework of the CSCE.
Resolution 884 Adopted by the Security Council at its 33 13th meeting, on 12 November 1993
- Condemns the recent violations of the cease-fire established between the parties, which resulted in a resumption of hostilities
- Calls upon the Government of Armenia to use its influence to achieve compliance by the Armenians of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan with resolutions 822, 853 and 874
- Demands from the parties concerned the immediate cessation of armed hostilities
- Calls for the “withdrawal of occupying forces” from the Zangelan district and the city of Goradiz
- Reaffirms UN Resolutions 822, 853, 874
- Strongly urges the parties concerned to continue to seek a negotiated settlement of the conflict within the context of the CSCE Minsk process.
The Minsk Group
The Minsk Group was established in 1994, within the framework of the OSCE, aiming to play an arbitration role in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution. Only three nations – Russia, France and the U.S. – have been actively dealing with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict since 1995. However, the co-chairs have done nothing seriously to end the occupation. Thus far Armenia has not implemented any resolution.
Nagorno Karabagh conflict in 2020
When new clashes started on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements. Thirteen civilians were killed and more than 40 others were injured and around 20 apartment buildings had been hit by Armenian missile strike on Azerbaijan’s second-largest city of Ganja which was miles away from occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian army also launched missile attacks on Mingachevir city.
The azerbajiani counter-attack
Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district as well as strategically-important Murov height and destroyed the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag. The war ended On 10 November, when the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Russia signed a statement declaring a complete ceasefire and end to all military operations in the conflict zone.
A total of 2,783 Azerbaijani soldiers were martyred in the Karabakh war, and that more than 100 serviceman are still missing .
