First group of Karabakh refugees reaches Armenia amid mass exodus
Nagorno-Karabakh
The Nagorno-Karabakh refugees' first group entered Armenia on Sunday (September 24) after the lightning assault by Azerbaijan against the separatist region, said an AFP team present at the border.
The group of some dozen people crossed the Azerbaijani border and entered the Armenian village of Kornidzor, where the officials from the foreign ministry of Armenia carried out their registration.
Primarily, the group comprised of women, children and the elderly. Speaking to AFP, some people said that they came from the border-area village of Eghtsahogh, while others stated that they have travelled longer distances.
Earlier on Sunday (September 24), the separatists said that the civilians left homeless because of the latest violence will be transferred to Armenia with the aid of Russian peacekeepers, who have been present in the region since the six-week war broke out in 2020.
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One person said that he was part of the separatist resistance. The rebels were forced to agree to disarm by Azerbaijan's offensive on Wednesday.
"Our families were in shelters," said the man, who was in his 30s and belonged to the village of Mets Shen. "Yesterday, we had to put down our rifles. So we left," he added.
Azerbaijan has taken the pledge to allow rebel fighters, who have given up their arms, to leave through the Lachin Corridor to Armenia.
The interior ministry of Azerbaijan on Sunday said that buses will be arranged for former fighters, adding that some can also travel by car to Armenia.
The Baku officials and separatists held an initial round of "reintegration" talks on Thursday (September 21) which ended with an agreement to meet again soon.
The apparent capitulation of the separatists can mark the end of a conflict between the Muslim Caucasus and Christian rivals which has raged -- off and on -- through the three decades since the the Soviet Union collapsed.
Mass exodus of Karabakh's 120,000 Armenians
On Sunday, the leadership of the separatist region said that 120,000 ethnic Armenians who are living in Nagorno-Karabakh will be leaving for Armenia as they do not wish to be part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, Reuters reported.
Armenia's Prime Minister said that the Karabakh Armenians are likely to move from the region and that Armenia was willing to accept them.
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"Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. Ninety-nine point nine per cent prefer to leave our historic lands," said David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-styled Republic of Artsakh, while speaking to Reuters.
"The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilised world. Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins,” Babayan added.
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