Baku, Azerbaijan

A United Nations mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh, said Azerbaijani officials, on Sunday (Oct 1) after nearly all ethnic-Armenian people had fled from the region after it was recaptured by Baku following a military operation. This comes a day after Armenia said over 100,000 refugees have fled the ethnic Armenian enclave. 

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UN mission arrives in Karabakh

After a number of international appeals including from the United States and the European Union, Azerbaijan on Friday (Sept 29) agreed to a UN mission’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The UN mission’s arrival was confirmed by an Azerbaijani presidency spokesman who told news agency AFP that a “UN mission arrived in Karabakh on Sunday morning”. The visit marks the first time in about 30 years that the international body has gained access to the region.

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ALSO READ | Armenia says over 100,000 have fled Nagorno-Karabakh; fuel depot blast death toll rises to 170

The UN mission is said to be in the region mainly to assess humanitarian needs and amid Armenia’s repeated accusations that Azerbaijan is conducting a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” to clear the disputed region of its Armenian population, a claim that Baku has denied. 

Why now?

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Azerbaijan launched a so-called military operation, on September 19 against the separatist Armenians, who have claimed part of Karabakh – internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory – as their ancestral homeland. 

Armenian separatists, who had controlled the region for three decades agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Baku after their defeat following the operation. The move has prompted Karabakh’s estimated 120,000 residents to flee the region for Armenia, sparking a refugee crisis.

Nazeli Baghdasaryan, a spokeswoman of the Armenian prime minister, said, “100,483 forcefully displaced persons arrived in Armenia,” as of Sunday morning, adding that some 45,516 refugees were now in temporary accommodation.

France also lashed out at Azerbaijan for allowing the UN mission into the breakaway region after most residents had already fled.

‘Tragic page’

Amid the refugee crisis in the region, on Sunday (Oct 1) Yerevan also observed a national day of prayer for the region. “One of the most tragic pages of Armenian history is being written today,” 28-year-old Mariam Vartanyan told AFP, standing in the crowd of worshippers.

ALSO READ | Azerbaijan forces detain top Karabakh commander 'involved' in terrorist activities 

Bells tolled in churches across the country, and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, led a service in the nation’s main cathedral Echmiadzin, near the capital city, according to AFP. 

The nation of 2.8 million, now faces a major challenge of housing the sudden influx of refugees.

Azerbaijani soldier killed by sniper near Armenia border, says Baku

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry, on Saturday (Sep 30) said its forces were taking “retaliatory measures” after one of their soldiers was allegedly killed by an Armenian army sniper on the border between the two countries. 

Yerevan denied the accusation and said the claim that its forces had opened fire on Azerbaijani positions “does not correspond to reality”. Baku also said that the shooting had taken place along its heavily militarised border’s Kelbajar region, west of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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