Reclamation of the occupied territories of the Nagorno-Karabakh; so near yet so far!

The war over the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) is lasting over the foreseen time and it has taken different twist. No one had imagined that sixteen years after that terrible event and fourteen years after the ceasefire was agreed upon by both the Azerbaijan and Armenia that the last of the stories from the NK wouldn’t have been told. The dream picture of the NK and its environs is a peaceful environment where the true occupants are going about their activities without fear or molestations. But even today, we still get reports of sporadic shooting still occurring with killing of both Armenians armies and Azerbaijan armies that have become the occupants of this partly deserted territory.

Since the invasion of this Azerbaijani territory by Armenia troops with of course the help of Russia, the resolution of the conflict is never ending. So many factors are the reason behind the still unresolved issue. Some are based on world politics but majority of the reason lies on one party refusing to accept the truth; the truth that they have consciously acted against laid down norms in treaties and agreements, that they have regularly violated the sovereignty of their neighboring nation and they have chosen to illegally remained in a territory that was never theirs.

The factor that has undermined the peace process so as to help elongate it will be classified into the following factors:
Armenia stubbornness;
National and Regional politics;
Media coverage;
World politics and the role of Russia

ARMENIA STUBBORNNESS

We have heard of how Armenia continues to violate the ceasefire agreed by both parties to cease from the continuous use of weaponries; on so many instances the Armenia soldiers continue to tempt the Azerbaijan soldiers towards retaliation. It is astonishing to state that Armenia has adamantly remained in the Azerbaijan territory since after the invasion and has stubbornly chosen to remain in order to stretch its neighbor’s patience to a simple logical conclusion of “daring to see what you (Azerbaijan) can do”.

Not to say that strength for strength, might for might, military artillery for military artillery that Azerbaijan does not have upper hands over the Armenia. However Azerbaijan has not thought it necessary to assume the character which they had once been a victim to during the Russia occupation of the entire Azerbaijan Republic and to a larger extent the Caucasus regions. Azerbaijan government has followed the right path in essence; it wants all necessary diplomatic peaceful deliberation to be exhausted because that’s genuine than an alternative use of force to reclaim its rightful possession.

Armenia has seen every additional year of the unresolved conflict as a victory and this has shown how they have purported to the elongation of the issue. However, if the Armenia had made a good effort to cautiously see issues from a peaceful perspective, considering the long run than the short run benefits, the Armenia would have known that they stand to benefit from an end to the conflict.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL POLITICS

The role of the politicians as a factor that has helped prolong the never ending conflict cannot be ruled out. Many will associate the elongation of the process as a way of tactics for the politicians to play time while subjecting the general masses to the issues as a diversion from making other meaningful democratic progress.

Instability in any region has never amounted to any significant gains no matter how slight this instability could be. The price for turbulent and war tells on the economical gains of any nation. For instance, using America as a case study, America is almost on the verge of recession because it is involve in two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan. Many will agree that lots of national revenue is squandered on the establishment of peace that should be directed to other meaningful economical spheres like health care, housings, infrastructure, etc.

Whereas Azerbaijan has gained significantly in its economical revenue with the oil boom, this is not same with the Armenia. Armenia relies heavily on aids and grants and particularly on trades with Russia. This is why it heavily dances to the tune of the Russia. Russia in turns manipulates the Armenia and plays politics with the NK issues in order to still play a dominant role in the region.

If the truth must also be told, the boom in economical oil revenue for Azerbaijan has hampered any good relationship it hopes to enjoy with Russia. Russia will always want to remain a force to be recon with especially in the regions of the Caucasus. With the EU continues dependent on the oil, Russia has successfully used its wealth from the region to arm twist the EU into downplaying some of its policies. Therefore with Azerbaijan oil boom, Russia perceives a loop hole to its regional strategy.

However Armenia cannot properly justify for all the largesse it continuously receives. The Armenia government ranks among the world top corrupt government. The majority of the Armenia masses live in poverty and yet the government, ruling class, and the elites accumulate great wealth. An unresolved NK crisis benefits these class of individuals because its remains a means for personal enrichment for the corrupt leaders.

MEDIA COVERAGE

The problem of the NK has not really gotten the kind of attention it should be accorded by the foreign media. Events like the Chechnya, Kosovo, even in Africa like Sudan, Rwanda, etc have all received adequate focus but a similar event in the massacre of innocent civilians, an event that last so short but yet its devastation was so immense has not receive adequate and proportionate coverage.

Lives were lost in the thousands, atrocities were committed, and to crown it all, Azerbaijan had a world record number of internally displaced civilians in its nation. What other calamity other than these could have happened for the foreign press to have given it the needed attention?

Perhaps the international media is simply playing the dumb so as to incline itself to the dictates of the “who is who” in world policies; the members of the UN security council including Russia has not called (tagged) it that, as to be necessary to be accorded a global coverage in order to call it what it is –a genocide!

Also Armenia has concentrated its whole effort in feeding the world with its own propaganda. Of course Armenia who assumes to have everything to gain in the prolonged delay to lasting peace will obviously ensure that it remains an antagonist to the peaceful resolution of the NK territorial disputes. Armenia has got a great community in the USA, with the USA being what it is as the core for emancipating of global news, the Armenia in the Diaspora has indulge itself in the use of this advantage to draw more world sympathy, more favorable media coverage and more on the spotlight. Additionally, the Armenians in France are good at their lobbying and propagations of their story therefore to their scores; they have convinced France towards making favorably proclamations to the advantage of the Armenia.

The consequence is that the Armenia story, which of course is a “photo shopped” variant, is the more familiar story to the global press.

WORLD POLITICS AND ROLE OF RUSSIA

Also America and France has equally not been equivocal with the truth in NK issues. Just recently, UN had a vote cast on the Armenia/Azerbaijan territorial dispute. The outcome was favorable to the Azerbaijan but US and France had voted against the vote. It keeps one wandering if the US and France are not speaking from both sides of the mouth; as the co-chairman of the MINSK OSCE group, they say things that are good to the ear of any party they are in contact with.

Russia too has long stated where its allegiance lies and does not pretend about it. The truth of the whole NK conflict is so real to the Russia because no one knows the history better than Russia who was the main culprit in igniting the war in first place.
So, why all these hank-panky dealings on this issue by, of course the world powers? Why are they so afraid to speak out to what is the truth. Probably just how Russia has bullied its way into influencing decisions in International organization like the NATO, it is also having similar influence in the final decisions of the MINSK OSCE group. USA and France has decided to play safe because in as much as the situation has not received the required world attention, Russia very well knows how vital the NK remains in the region. No nation will want a confrontation with Russia, particularly not based on the Azerbaijan issues.

Peace has remained elusive not because it can not be achieved but because the above stated reasons has hampered peace. These factors can inevitable be surpassed through truthfulness and openness to the issue by all parties involved in the process of achieving peace.

The bulk of the challenge to repossess the occupied territory lies with the Azerbaijanis. It is their problems and no matter how much the International community shows concern, it will never amount to a meaningful success; “It is he who wears the shoes that knows where it pinches him”. The Armenia has not shown good commitment to the whole issue as the Azerbaijan has done; the Armenia government and the Armenians as a whole is not as passionate to the matter as the Azerbaijanis do. This is a clear indication of who actually is right from the onset, who is telling the truthful story and who has a good intent. Perhaps the Azerbaijani government has gotten it all wrong with the reclamation process. It is a situation of wrong choice of approach to the situation.

Both the Azerbaijan and Armenia will definitely benefit from the final resolution of the NK conflict. Any one who has visited these regions and its surroundings will definitely confirm to how beautiful the territory is. It’s an untapped territory for tourism, large scale agriculture, etc; it is even home to exotic animal and bird species. Not to add the thousands of persons that will have to finally return to their original homes.