Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to avoid attacking civilian areas, immediately violate truce

Armenia, Azerbaijan on October 30, pledged to avoid shelling civilian residential areas during the confrontations in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh post-Geneva talks. A ceasefire was agreed on by the Armenia and Azerbaijan forces last weekend on the 4,400-square-kilometre enclave that houses a civilian population of 150,000, terribly impacted by the conflict arisen out of the full-scale hostilities, late September. However, the military troops launched offensives despite the agreement as foreign ministries of both countries shortly informed in a statement following the meeting. 

To conclude one of the largest conflicts since the secession of Nagorno-Karabakh post-collapse Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the Foreign ministers from the two warring sides met in Geneva to reach a peaceful resolution to Put end to months of deadly military confrontations. According to a statement issued by Armenia’s foreign ministry, the Armenian and Azerbaijan military forces agreed to put end to hostilities in fresh peace talks after peace was negotiated by the envoys from France, Russia and the United States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group. A team of mediators was formulated to bring both sides to agree to reach a truce. 

Meanwhile, according to Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, despite the truce, Azerbaijan launched phosphorus munitions in Artsakh over forests close to residential areas, housing civilians. “What Azerbaijan is doing: a total disrespect of its commitments, continued aggression, the devastation of the civilian population and use of banned weapons,” the Armenian foreign minister claimed.

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Armenia targeted residential buildings

The Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, informed that the armed forces of Armenia targeted the residential buildings in Tartar and Aghjabadi district after the appeal of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, shortly after the meeting in Geneva that reached a humanitarian ceasefire. Both the countries had agreed to exempt any further attacks on the civilian areas in a meeting presided by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

As a step towards the cessation of hostilities, a joint statement was also reached on October 10 in Moscow by the two countries. Minister Zohrab Hrachik Mnatsakanyan stressed the immediate and unconditional implementation of the agreements for the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister also reiterated the continuation of the peace process after the military troops indulged in attacks, shortly after the Geneva talks. 

[Shop owners fix a door in their shop damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan's artillery at a market in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: AP]

[Smoke rises after multiple rocket system shelling by Armenian forces in Barda, Azerbaijan. Credit: AP]

[Men carry goods past a shop damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan's artillery at a market in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: AP]

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(Image Credit: AP)