US-brokered ceasefire in jeopardy as warring sides resume fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

Hours after US-brokered a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces renewed the fight in the disputed region, jeopardising the international efforts to end the conflict. In a televised address, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said that he wanted to resolve the conflict through “political and military means” as both sides levelled accusations of violating the ceasefire.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a Facebook live that Armenia is ready for mutual concessions but not for the capitulation of Karabakh, underscoring that Azerbaijan wasn’t interested in a peaceful resolution. Earlier, the Armenian PM had called on citizens to take up arms to defend the country, urging mayors to organise volunteer units. 

Notwithstanding the proposals of diplomatic settlement, Pashinyan had stressed that the uncompromising gesture of Azerbaijan has forced Armenia to ditch the idea of such settlement. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan but it remains disputed because the region is controlled by ethnic Armenians. 

Read: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Armenian PM Says No Diplomatic Settlement With Azerbaijan

Read: Azerbaijan Prez Aliyev Agrees To Ceasefire In Nagorno-Karabakhl If All Conditions Are Met

US-brokered truce

The two former Soviet states are in an armed stand-off for years over the Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, and heavy clashes re-erupted on September 27, prompting fears of an all-out war. Another ceasefire was agreed on October 25 after separate talks between US State Secretary and the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

US State Department said on October 25 that both warring sides have reaffirmed their commitment to not only implement the ceasefire that was agreed in Moscow but also to abide by it. The agreement on a truce is set to begin at 12 AM EDT on October 26 and the US noted its role in the “intensive negotiations” leading to the deal. 

A wider conflict could severely impact the international markets because Nagorno-Karabakh serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea to world markets.  The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France and the United States) had earlier released a statement, condemning the continued violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. 

Read: UN Secretary-General Welcomes Ceasefire Agreement Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Accuse Each Other Of 'violating' US-brokered Ceasefire