|
|
HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT
Karabakh
is a small mountainous region located in the southwestern part of Azerbaijan.
Often referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh in western media Karabakh has been
populated by native Armenians and, until late 1980's had an approximately
10% Azeri population mostly concentrated in a towns of Shusha and Khodjali
as well as in other small villages. History of this beautiful land has
been a subject of debate between Azerbaijani and Armenian historians. However,
the most recent developments have not been fully studied by scientist and
are still quite fresh in the memories of Azeris. One million refugees in
a state of seven million people have fled the invading forces during the
war which started in 1988. Unbeknownst to Westerners who have the luxury
of watching the world through the screen of their TV's and who have enjoyed
the falling of Berlin wall, thinking that the Cold War is over, communism
defeated and all can live happily ever after a whole new line of troubles
began on the ex-communist territories as ex-Soviet KGB began its struggle
to regain control over the widely recognized "emerging democracies" - the
fourteen ex-Soviet republics . In a fundamentally new political environment
with mushrooming patriotic movements, new leaders and western influence
pouring through he borders came an epidemic of ethnic wars. While different
reasons were used to put those conflicts ablaze and whether or not Moscow
was responsible for them or merely capitalized on the event may be irrelevant.
It appears obvious that progress of these conflicts was fueled by the ex-communist
leaders of newly-independent Russia depending on 'behavior' of a particular
country. The first "playground" was set up in Karabakh. In late 1988 following
resignation of then-Politburo member and native Azerbaijani, Heydar Aliyev
- currently president of Azerbaijan Republic - Armenians of Karabakh held
several demonstrations in Khankendi (formerly Stepanakert), capital of
then-Karabakh Autonomous Region expressing their wish to unite with the Republic
of Armenia. Soon, after the news of public manifestations reached Baku,
capital of Azerbaijan, Azeri population of Baku responded with actions
of protest and demanding that the issue was not to be discussed. However,
peaceful marches soon were followed by first blood.
FIRST VICTIMS
Two Azeri men were murdered in an Azeri
populated town of Agdam a few months later and a flow of Azeri refugees
from Armenia to Azerbaijan began. The refugees, once crossed the border
and searched for temporary shelter told stories of horror and killings
which caused them to flee. While this did not result in major clashes between
Azeris and Armenians in regions neighboring with Armenia, some refugees
had to travel all the way to Baku and other major cities in Eastern Azerbaijan
which had significant Armenian population. In early 1989 this resulted
in outbursts of violence aimed at local Armenian population in a city of
Sumgait (near Baku). Casualties: 26 dead. In later years the investigation
of Sumgait tragedy revealed that the group of murderers was not only comprised
of representatives of different nationalities but was lead by an Armenian
resident of Sumgait whose name escaped my memory.
The flow of refugees from Armenia continued.
Peaceful public meetings in Baku and Yerevan, capital of Azerbaijan and
Armenia became an everyday event, while Azeri refugees fleeing brutalities
of Armenian authorities came face to face with Armenian population of Baku
and tension was increasing daily.
JANUARY 20, 1990
In
November 1989, in response to the news that Azeri national monuments in
Karabakh (Topkhana) were being destroyed by Armenians to eliminate the
evidence of Azeribaijan's historical roots in Karabakh, demonstrators on
Baku's Azadliq (Freedom) square refused to leave until the destruction
of monuments of history was stopped. Authorities failed to respond and
the meeting continued until the tension between still arriving Azeri refugees
and Armenians who lived in Azeri capital fueled by the news from Karabakh
resulted in violence. In spite the presence of a significant contingent
of Soviet Internal Troops in Baku (I personally witnessed them marching
through the streets) the violence against Armenians was not stopped. I
personally heard a Russian commander say the following: "If they are not
harming Russians, then we are not going to intervene." But it appears that
the captain's words were a signal to something more devastating to happen:
The troops in Baku waited for killings to stop and a week after that day
when Armenians were killed in Baku an armada of Russian motorized division
entered Baku opening fire at sight. Hundreds of unarmed civilians were
killed on the night of January 20, 1990 and are remembered by Azeris on
that day every year. A memorial is built on a hill in Baku where the victims
were buried.
COLLAPSE OF USSR - SOVIET ARMY LEAVES
ARMS BEHIND
With dissolution of the Soviet Union violence
in Karabakh escalated into an armed conflict. Immediately following the
January tragedy in Baku, Azerbaijan was looking to heal the wounds while
its borders came under constant attacks by Armenian militants scattered
along the border with Azerbaijan. Reports of villages being attacked, fire
upon came daily and the Azeri nation demoralized and devastated was unable
to respond. Later in that same year as the Russian troops left the capital
of Azerbaijan and began simultaneously supplying arms to both sides the
conflict a newly organized Azeri army began returning fire at the border
maintaining a stand off. Arms were also used in firing between Khankendi
and Shusha, an Armenian and Azeri strongholds in Karabakh. As time passed
and more weapons became available from departing Russian army, the shootings
of a provoking nature was replace by a full scaled bombardments with usage
of heavy artillery and large-caliber firearms and therefore, number of
wounded and killed increased. Pretty soon the sides were fighting a war.
In February 1992 Armenians occupied the only Azeri city in Karabakh - Shusha.
Only months later - Lachin Region - region separating Armenia from Karabakh
was also occupied by Armenians. Simultaneously in democratic election held
in Azerbaijan in June 1992 a new President, Abulfaz Elchibey, was elected.
In spite the expectations Elchibey's primary goal was to avoid joining
the new union which the Moscow political circles had planned to replace
the old USSR. Government in former Soviet republic were pressured to join
and Azerbaijan was one of those not willing to sign an agreement. Therefore,
now was the time for Moscow to use the best weapon against Azerbaijan -
Karabakh conflict. So they did. The flow of weaponry, military instructors,
soldiers of Russian Army in Armenia to Karabakh Armenians increased significantly
- and they acted on this advantage promptly. Armenian Troops, having driven
all Azeri population from Karabakh began a full scale invasion of other
regions of Azerbaijan adjacent to Karabakh.
The invasion continued until summer 1993
when Elchibey's government, weakened by internal disagreements and insubordination
from an Army Colonel S. Husseynov (who later turned out to be receiving
orders from Moscow) tuned to Heydar Aliyev - the very person whose resignation
from USSR Politburo in 1988 gave Armenians an opportunity to raise the
issue of Karabakh. Aliyev, on pick of his popularity, upon return to Baku
held Presidential elections and was elected a president in 1993. Later
in 1994 after bloody battles in territories adjacent to Karabakh, Armenians
agreed to a cease-fire, which is still in force.
RUSSIAN FACTOR
This might be a good time to bring the
Russian factor into the picture. While generally interested in regaining
and maintaining control over all ex-Soviet territories, official Moscow
has had special taste in Azerbaijan and its oil reserves. The conflict,
as I have mentioned above was used to manipulate the politicians both in
Baku and Yerevan, as well as other areas of ex-USSR. Therefore, subordination
of one party to the conflict would automatically make the other more vulnerable.
Armenians government, realizing obvious gains of such "friendship" with
Moscow quickly joined the Commonwealth of Independent States insuring the
guardianship of Russia - precisely what official Baku was determined to
avoid. Therefore, it was not a coincidence that a massive Armenian offensive
began immediately after the Moscow oriented President (Ayaz Mutalibov)
was overthrown and replaced by an acting President. While lose of territories
did speed up the process of bringing democratic forces of Azerbaijan Popular
Front, lead by A. Elchibey) to power (June 1992) the Armenian war effort
became significantly stronger after that. One can't help wonder where Armenia,
which had been under economic blockade for several years by then, got so
much military power from.
Presence of group of major international
oil companies in Baku striving to sign oil deals was another factor which
was pushing Moscow to act promptly. By late May 1993 Elchibey was planning
a trip to London, during which the oil deals were to be signed. All the
defeats in the Armenian-Azerbaijan front lines failed to shift the focus
of Elchibey's government from away from the oil deals. "Coincidentally",
in early June (days before Elchibey's planned trip to London) an Azeri
army colonel S. Husseynov orders his battalion to march on Baku to "take
over the government". Allegedly, a planned (master-minded in Moscow) was
to use Husseynov to overthrow the Elchibey government and, at the right
moment bring Moscow's man Mutallibov back to power. This would have been
a good plan…except Elchibey interfered with it again. He called Heydar
Aliyev for help who, having many factors on his side, successfully secured
control of the country, put an end to Armenian offensive, which, considering
failure of Moscow's plans in latest developments in Baku power structure
would have to become even stronger.
Nevertheless, numerous attempts to remove
Aliyev in later years failed. His government signed first oil deal in 1994
and many more have been signed since. Increasing investments in the economy
by Western companies brought the needed support of the West, including
US and British Governments.
Karabakh peace negotiations are underway.
Although little progress is being made due to reluctance of both parties
to compromise. However, the Azeris are determined to regain control of
lost territories, as perhaps Armenians intend to defend them. Therefore,
it is quite safe to conclude that this article is to be continues.
December 9, 1999
|