Youth group continues “Voices for peace, voices for Karabakh” campaign
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijani Students and Alumni International Forum (ASAIF) continues implementing various projects within the "Voices for peace, voices for Karabakh" campaign.
Another event has been held as part of the international campaign on one of the central streets of Moscow.
During the event, held to mark the 20th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijan's Aghdam region by Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani students conveyed their just voices for Karabakh, peace and justice.
Azerbaijani university students studying abroad regularly take part in awareness events by such activities as handing out leaflets and books informing people about the bitter aftermath of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands and playing music.
On July 23, 1993, after heavy fighting, Agdam was captured by the Armenian forces. More damage occurred in the following decades when the deserted town was looted for building materials. Agdam is currently a ruined and uninhabited town.
The Armenian aggressors seized 882 sq. km. of the 1,094 sq. km. territory of Aghdam, including one city and 80 villages. Some 128,000 people became internally displaced persons.
As a result of the occupation of Aghdam, Azerbaijan faced material damage worth a staggering $6.179 billion. The damage inflicted to the region's agriculture alone is estimated at 992.8 million manats ($1.272 billion). Over 6,000 people died during the fighting in Aghdam.
ASAIF aims to raise awareness about the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories in the world community and shape a better image for Azerbaijan through educated and competent youth.
The youth is engaged in holding events as part of the "Voices for peace, voices for Karabakh" campaign, which started in May this year. The campaign aims to draw the attention of the international community not only to the innocent victims of the Karabakh war, but also to the fate of thousands of people ousted from their native lands as a result of ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world, and urges to take action.
Since the start of the campaign, Azerbaijani students have organized events calling people to peaceful deeds, thus drawing attention of the world community to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 17 countries including the United Kingdom, Austria, Lithuania, Italy, the U.S. and China.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.
The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.