The self-proclaimed “Republic of Artsakh” in Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist as of January 1, 2024.
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| Samvel Shahramanyan, head of the self-proclaimed “Artsakh Republic” in Nagorno-Karabakh, has signed a decree to dissolve it starting next year. (Source: Reuters) |
On September 28, the Nagorno-Karabakh regional government announced that Mr. Samvel Shahramanyan - head of the self-proclaimed "Artsakh Republic" in this region has officially signed a decree to dissolve all state agencies from January 1 next year.
Accordingly, the self-proclaimed republic will cease to exist from the date stated in the decree taking effect.
Earlier in the day, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of carrying out a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, Pashinyan made it clear that no Armenians would have to leave the disputed region in the coming days.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on the morning of September 28, Prime Minister Pashinyan stressed that the evacuation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh is still ongoing and that in the coming days there will be no Armenians left in the region. According to the Armenian leader, this is an act of “ethnic cleansing” that the Armenian government has long warned the international community about.
Faced with the above situation, Mr. Pashinyan urged the international community to jointly condemn the above "ethnic cleansing" campaign, and at the same time stated that countries that did not take action to prevent it were "siding" with Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan, but the region is predominantly ethnic Armenian. Following the 1994 conflict, the enclave and surrounding territory were controlled by local Armenian separatists.
Azerbaijan recaptured neighboring regions and parts of Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020. The conflict ended in a Russia-brokered ceasefire, and Moscow has deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh since then.
On September 19, Baku launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh to take control of the region. Azerbaijani troops quickly breached the defenses, forcing the Armenian separatists to quickly lay down their weapons and cease operations.
Under the agreement, Baku will allow “free, voluntary and unhindered movement” of Nagorno-Karabakh residents. On September 24, Azerbaijan opened the Lachin Corridor, the only land route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
Tens of thousands of people have fled the region in recent days, fearing persecution and ethnic cleansing. According to Yerevan, more than 65,000 people, more than half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population, have left the breakaway region for Armenia.
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