Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
24 September 2023 | 17:03 CAT

Image: The Guardian

Separatist Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh have agreed to the terms of a ceasefire proposed by Russian peacekeepers after suffering a series of battlefield setbacks at the hands of the Azerbaijani forces.

The agreement includes provisions for the local Armenian government to disband its local military in a capitulation to Azerbaijan.

Estimates of the number killed in the assault range from dozens to hundreds.

One official in Nagorno-Karabakh said at least 200 people had been killed and more than 400 wounded after Azerbaijan launched what it described as an “anti-terrorist operation” in the disputed South Caucasus region on Tuesday.

The prospect of a more long-lasting peace remains uncertain. Unfortunately, the issue of Nogorno-Karabakh and its future has remained in the balance for quite some time.

Two years ago, there was hope for further progress toward a more permanent peace. It seems unlikely under the current scenario and climate, where a very anti-Azharbhaijani population remains.

Meanwhile, Work is underway to restore electricity supplies by Sunday, the Karabakh Armenians said in a statement which also referred to “political consultations” on the future of the region, which they call Artsakh, and its 120,000 Armenian residents.

Russia’s defence ministry said that, under the ceasefire terms, the Armenian separatists had begun handing over their weapons to Azerbaijan, including more than 800 guns and six armoured vehicles. Moscow has 2,000 peacekeepers in the area.

Listen to the interview on the Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junain Kharsany and Talha Köse, the chair and Associate Professor of the Political Science Department at Ibn Haldun University.