Opinion

The Caucasus on the brink of war

photo_camera Nagorno-Karabaj

The old and entrenched conflict around the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has been reignited in recent weeks by the upsurge in violence that has marked the history of this poor and belligerent mountainous region. The clashes between the troops of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the two countries involved in the dispute, left at least 58 people dead between Saturday and Sunday, to which several dozen more have been added in the clashes which have taken place since the ceasefire broke down in August, ending the fighting that had claimed 30,000 victims in 1994.

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, is a rugged and underdeveloped enclave of Transcaucasia which, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, became bogged down between Armenia's claim and the demands made by the independence fighters for part of Azerbaijan's territory, who took advantage of the situation to proclaim a republic, named Artsaj and capital Stepanakert, which neither the UN nor any of its members has officially recognised.  

The enclave covers a mere 11,500 square kilometres and has 150,000 inhabitants, mostly of Armenian origin. In fact, Armenia has been the country that maintained close relations with the separatist government, which maintains its currency, channels its scant foreign trade and provides passports to people who wish to travel to other countries. It is not clear who broke the truce: the two governments, that of Baku and Yerevan, are accusing each other.  

Both have moved military contingents to reform their control of the perimeter of the borders and the fighting was not only limited to frequent clashes between groups of civilians fighting with small arms and stones: artillery from both sides is continuously exchanging fire and Azerbaijani planes bombed Armenian positions and the capital on Sunday. The divided and warring population is itself involved in continuous incidents. 

Turkey and Russia are trying to mediate in a desperate attempt to restore the truce, but neither side is willing to withdraw the heavy artillery they have concentrated in the region or accept the restoration of peace until their respective territorial claims are accepted. The post-Soviet Caucasus is a region of conflict and the danger of new clashes leading to open warfare is growing by the moment.