Context:

  • Recently, Azerbaijan claimed full control over the contentious Nagorno­Karabakh region after local forces, mostly Armenians, agreed to disarm and disband.
  • Hundreds of local Armenians fled the area overnight, fearing ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan.
  • While the disputed region is home to a majority population of ethnic Armenians and an Azeri minority, it is internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan.

What happened?

  • A fresh round of violence broke out in September when Azerbaijan launched an attack against ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno­Karabakh.
  • The fighting lasted one day, and a ceasefire was announced a day later.

What is the history of the conflict?

  • Nagorno­Karabakh is located within the international borders of Azerbaijan.
  • It is in the South Caucasus region between eastern Europe and western Asia, spanning the southern part of the Caucasus mountains that roughly includes modern­day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
  • The conflict between Azeris and Armenians goes back a century, when the Ottomans attacked the South Caucasus during World War I with the help of Azeris.
  • They targeted ethnic Armenians during this attack, and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia descended into a full­blown war in 1920.
  • This war incorporated the region into the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
  • Soon after, both countries became part of the Soviet Republic, and Nagorno­Karabakh was made an autonomous Oblast (administrative region) in Azerbaijan’s territory.
  • When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, full­scale fighting again broke out between the countries as Armenian rebels declared Nagorno­Karabakh an independent territory.
  • The war lasted till 1994 and killed around 30,000 people. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia entered a ceasefire brokered by Russia, but international borders for the countries were not demarcated.
  • A four­day war again broke out between the two countries in 2016, with no resolution being arrived at.
Syllabus: Prelims