OSCE monitoring fails as Armenia violates truce
By Sara Rajabova
The situation on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops continues to raise concerns as ceasefire breaches by Armenian armed forces keep tension high on the frontline.
A recent armistice breach by Armenian armed forces suspended a regular OSCE monitoring on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops located south of the village of Ashagi Seyidahmadli in Azerbaijan's Fizuli region on October 17.
Under the mandate of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative OSCE holds regular monitoring on the frontline.
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that before the start of the monitoring, the Armenian armed forces violated the ceasefire on the frontline and the monitoring was suspended for this reason.
Regular monitoring by OSCE representatives on the frontline is usually held without incidents. Armenians tend to follow the standing ceasefire agreement only when OSCE representatives hold monitoring on the troops' contact line, but this time they even ignored the international monitoring.
The frequent ceasefire violations occur almost every day, causing great hardship for the people living near the frontline, as they can't live their normal everyday lives and are always under a threat.
Furthermore, persistent shootings by the Armenian forces lead to casualties, even deaths among the civilian Azerbaijani population.
The Armenians also set fire to the territories near the frontline, which causes massive loss of natural resources, flora and fauna and adversely affects the agriculture of the villages located in those areas.
These actions by the Armenians question a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hamper a speedy solution to the long-lasting problem.
Armenia's destructive position has been repeatedly condemned by the politicians and international organizations, but the country's leadership is failing to relinquish its aggressive policy despite all the international calls.
NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said earlier that a resolution of the conflict is very important, but it is possible only through political means. He said it is clear that the term "frozen conflict" does not reflect the reality properly.
Appathurai added that both parties often report violations of the ceasefire and there are significant losses among the military and civilians.
The delay in the negotiation process over a peaceful settlement of the conflict at the same time creates difficulties for the Armenian people and hinders Armenia's development.
The situation in Armenia is miserable, as people live in poverty and the government faces migration, debt and frequent public protests.
According to the Armenian Migration Service, 2.053 million people left the country over 11 months of 2012, while 1.981 million returned in this period. Thus, the difference between those who left and came back made up about 72,000 people.
Given Armenia's small population of slightly over 3 million people, the dangerous demographic situation in the country is likely to leave the country without workforce soon.
French newspaper Le Monde reported recently that young Armenians are massively leaving the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The newspaper said large numbers of the young people living in Nagorno-Karabakh are moving to Russia to look for a job.
The Armenian government, however, appears to lack an intention to change the situation for the sake of its people by leaving the country sidelined from regional projects because of the invasion policy against Azerbaijan, keeping over 20 percent of its neighbor's territory under occupation, and fueling tension with other neighboring countries.
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, 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.