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| Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: patriotism prevails on both sides | Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: patriotism prevails on both sides |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| In both the Armenian and Azerbaijani capitals, crowds have been gathering to voice support for their respective militaries after four days of intense fighting in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. | In both the Armenian and Azerbaijani capitals, crowds have been gathering to voice support for their respective militaries after four days of intense fighting in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. |
| Amid an upsurge of patriotic feeling in Yerevan and Baku, Azerbaijan claimed on Wednesday that the terms of the ceasefire agreed to just 24 hours earlier had already been broken 115 times. | |
| The view from Armenia | The view from Armenia |
| In Yerevan, members of a solidarity march said they knew of friends and family who had continued to board buses to the front line after Tuesday’s agreement. “My two cousins are back from France to go to frontline, it’s incredible,” said Narine Galstian. | In Yerevan, members of a solidarity march said they knew of friends and family who had continued to board buses to the front line after Tuesday’s agreement. “My two cousins are back from France to go to frontline, it’s incredible,” said Narine Galstian. |
| “Armenians are the only nation in the world that emigrate during peaceful times, but hurry back home when war erupts,” she said. | “Armenians are the only nation in the world that emigrate during peaceful times, but hurry back home when war erupts,” she said. |
| In Yerevan’s city centre, well-known activist Helena Melkonian was joined by hundreds of people on Tuesday to assemble aid packages to be sent to Armenian soldiers. She said “recent events have united everyone” despite widespread distrust of the current government. “There is something warm in the air, some kindness that is unexpected.” | In Yerevan’s city centre, well-known activist Helena Melkonian was joined by hundreds of people on Tuesday to assemble aid packages to be sent to Armenian soldiers. She said “recent events have united everyone” despite widespread distrust of the current government. “There is something warm in the air, some kindness that is unexpected.” |
| The crowd was joined by Max Sargsyan, one of the initiators of the 2015 anti-government Electric Yerevan protests, who said the outpouring of support was astonishing. “Prior to these events many people were skeptical that that people would come together, but everyone stood up at the critical moment. The mood is encouraging,” Sargsyan said. | The crowd was joined by Max Sargsyan, one of the initiators of the 2015 anti-government Electric Yerevan protests, who said the outpouring of support was astonishing. “Prior to these events many people were skeptical that that people would come together, but everyone stood up at the critical moment. The mood is encouraging,” Sargsyan said. |
| Armenians are the only nation in the world that emigrate during peaceful times, but hurry back home when war erupts | Armenians are the only nation in the world that emigrate during peaceful times, but hurry back home when war erupts |
| Online posts alleging to show images of beheaded Armenian soldiers and the abandoned bodies of a group of elderly residents have further inflamed tensions, sewing doubt the the ceasefire will hold. | Online posts alleging to show images of beheaded Armenian soldiers and the abandoned bodies of a group of elderly residents have further inflamed tensions, sewing doubt the the ceasefire will hold. |
| Thomas de Waal, senior associate at Carnegie Europe told the Guardian on Tuesday that the ongoing low-intensity fighting “completely destroys the peace process” and made it likely the conflict could once again escalate. | Thomas de Waal, senior associate at Carnegie Europe told the Guardian on Tuesday that the ongoing low-intensity fighting “completely destroys the peace process” and made it likely the conflict could once again escalate. |
| Though Karabakh is technically part of Azerbaijan it has been run by an ethnic Armenian government since the collapse of the Soviet Union. By the time a ceasefire was agreed in 1994 around 25,000 people were believed to have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes. | Though Karabakh is technically part of Azerbaijan it has been run by an ethnic Armenian government since the collapse of the Soviet Union. By the time a ceasefire was agreed in 1994 around 25,000 people were believed to have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes. |
| Speaking from Yerevan, Edgar Nersisyan, who joined the crowd packing aid said: “Many Azerbaijanis describe Karabakh as ‘their territory’. For us it is not just a territory, it is our motherland. We will stand for Karabakh till the end.” | |
| The view from Azerbaijan | The view from Azerbaijan |
| In the Azeri capital, similar scenes were taking place as citizens gathered to show their support from the other side of the disputed border conflict. | In the Azeri capital, similar scenes were taking place as citizens gathered to show their support from the other side of the disputed border conflict. |
| Freelance reporter and blogger Islam Shikhali organised a solidarity event on Wednesday for the many ordinary people who “want to show their moral and material support” for those caught up in the conflict. | Freelance reporter and blogger Islam Shikhali organised a solidarity event on Wednesday for the many ordinary people who “want to show their moral and material support” for those caught up in the conflict. |
| “I was shocked when I saw hundreds of people gathering in the city centre and bringing different things that might be useful for daily use. We have been overloaded. We were 2-3 people at the beginning, then it appeared hundreds of young people helping each other to carry the stuff,” Shikhali said. | “I was shocked when I saw hundreds of people gathering in the city centre and bringing different things that might be useful for daily use. We have been overloaded. We were 2-3 people at the beginning, then it appeared hundreds of young people helping each other to carry the stuff,” Shikhali said. |
| He said queues of people had assembled outside hospitals across the country to donate blood. “It is real solidarity, maybe this kind of solidarity can only be compared with 1990s, when the first Karabakh war started.” | He said queues of people had assembled outside hospitals across the country to donate blood. “It is real solidarity, maybe this kind of solidarity can only be compared with 1990s, when the first Karabakh war started.” |
| This kind of solidarity can only be compared with 1990s, when the first Karabakh war started | This kind of solidarity can only be compared with 1990s, when the first Karabakh war started |
| Related: Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict is a reminder of Europe's instability | Related: Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict is a reminder of Europe's instability |
| The most recent clashes have involved tanks, helicopters and artillery concentrating fire along the contact line, a heavily mined no man’s land that has since the 1990s has separated Armenian-backed forces, in the foothills of the Karabakh mountains, from Azeri troops dug into defensive positions in the plains below. | The most recent clashes have involved tanks, helicopters and artillery concentrating fire along the contact line, a heavily mined no man’s land that has since the 1990s has separated Armenian-backed forces, in the foothills of the Karabakh mountains, from Azeri troops dug into defensive positions in the plains below. |
| “Karabakh is the value that connects all Azeris. Everyone with different backgrounds, from different political groups and point of view come together and be the one nation when it comes to Karabakh,” said Shikhali. | “Karabakh is the value that connects all Azeris. Everyone with different backgrounds, from different political groups and point of view come together and be the one nation when it comes to Karabakh,” said Shikhali. |
| In 2014, both sides managed to pull back from the brink after frontline clashes led to the deaths of an estimated 20 soldiers on both sides. But the conditions that encouraged restraint two years ago may have changed, according to Elkhan Mehdiyev, the director of Baku’s Peace and Conflict Resolution Centre. | In 2014, both sides managed to pull back from the brink after frontline clashes led to the deaths of an estimated 20 soldiers on both sides. But the conditions that encouraged restraint two years ago may have changed, according to Elkhan Mehdiyev, the director of Baku’s Peace and Conflict Resolution Centre. |
| “Peace for Azerbaijan means the liberation of its territory, restoration of its sovereignty and peaceful coexistence [with Armenia],” Mehdiyev said. “A ceasefire is not peace.” | “Peace for Azerbaijan means the liberation of its territory, restoration of its sovereignty and peaceful coexistence [with Armenia],” Mehdiyev said. “A ceasefire is not peace.” |