5 Things You Need to Know About the Conflict Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
What are the roots of this long lasting conflict?
Azerbaijan fell to the conquest of the Arabs, and the result was conversion to Islam. From 1828 to 1920, it is estimated that 560,000 Armenians were resettled in Azerbaijan, a migration led to the separation of heavily Armenian-settled areas from the rest of Azerbaijan, which later became the region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Glenn). The region’s population consists of 95% Armenian, but it is located within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders, making it an Armenian exclave in Azerbaijan. In 1918 both Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed that the region of Nagorno-Karabakh was theirs. In 1923, under the rule of Stalin, the region became part of Azerbaijan and had self rule. (Glenn)The armenians living in this area, different from the rest of Azerbaijan ethnically, culturally, and linguistically, wanted to either join Armenia became independent.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani ethnic conflict started centuries ago. In the 4th Century, the transcaucasian area which includes Armenia and Azerbaijan contained mostly christians. By the mid-7th Century, the area of what is now
What happened in the War of Nagorno-Karabakh for Independence?
Under Soviet’s iron fist, violence between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis was kept largely in check. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, in 1991, the region of Nagorno-Karabahk declared independence, demonstrating self-determination; the conflict then escalated into a full-scale war (Schereck). Nagorno-Karabahk was joined by Armenia, who believes it has irredentism over the religion. During the war, an estimated 30,000 people died. Minorities in each country fled and were not able to return home since. A Russian-brokered ceasefire was signed in 1994; the Armenians gained control of the region as well as the Azeri territory around the enclave, creating a buffer zone linking Nagorno-Karabahk and Armenia. Armenia now controlled 14 percent of Azerbaijan land (BBC News). Although a truce was signed, cross-border violence has remained constant. The OSCE's Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, France and the US has been trying to put an end to the conflict (Schreck).
Where exactly is the Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict taking place?
The roots of this conflict are centered around the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh which is located in Azerbaijan. Geographically this region belongs to Azerbaijan; however this region is mainly inhabited with ethnic Armenia's which has lead to conflict between the two groups (Nagorno). The region surrounding nagorno-Karabakh is located in Azerbaijan but is now controlled by Armenian militia and has the backing of Armenia, which borders this region (Nagorno).
What are the Religious, Political and Centripetal factors attached to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Conflict?
Many factors are attached to this conflict. One of the main centripetal forces that help to keep this region together from the 1920’s to the 1980’s was actually Russia and Stalin. After World War I the Soviet Union maintained control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in relative peace. It wasn't until after 1980 when they loosened their control on this region that tensions started to flace and fighting broke out (Armenia and Azerbaijan). The Armenians saw this as their chance to gain control of the region, which is when the fighting broke out into a full scale war. On the religious aspect, Armenians are mainly christian (Armenia) and Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan) are mainly muslim. These cultures constantly clash against one another, making the conflict even more prominent. Armenia also has the backing of Russia and their support, however Azerbaijan is a main supplier of oil in the region which has lead to economic conflicts (Conflicts).
What is the current situation of the conflict?
The region of Nagorno-Karabakh is currently a nation without state. Although the region calls itself Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as an independent state, it is not internationally recognized (The Economists). However, it can be considered as a nation because people in the region have common ancestry, language, and religion. It has the political aspirations to become an official state. Although Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan have been in ceasefire since 1994, clashes and exchanges of fire along the front have been common. For example, on Thursday September 24th, the Armenian police said that three civilians that lived in villages near the border with Azerbaijan were killed by the Azerbaijani forces. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry claimed it was out of self-protection (New York Times). Cross-border violence has remained constant since the 1994 cease-fire but has not escalated into a full-scale war.