In Azerbaijan, winning the Nagorno-Karabakh war was easier than reconciling with Armenia

“It’s not possible,” she said. They “came to our country and our children are dead because of them.”

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at odds for years with their conflicting claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. The enclave is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it was controlled by ethnic Armenians for nearly three decades.

Last fall, Azerbaijani forces reclaimed parts of the area. A subsequent truce staged by Russia in November was intended to end the dispute over the mountainous enclave for good.

But the magnitude of the losses on both sides and the deep-seated enmity make it difficult to move forward and rebuild the devastated province, making it a tinder box not only for Azerbaijan and Armenia, but also for the wider stability of the traditional domain of Moscow in the South Caucasus. .

According to the country’s Ministry of Defense, 2,855 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed during the six-week fighting on September 27. More than 100 remain missing. The Armenian authorities say more than 3,000 of their troops have died, while the total number of civilian casualties was around 150, according to official figures from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“There were many tragedies on both sides. The wounds are very deep, ”said Natig Jafarli, an Azerbaijani opposition politician who leads a research organization that he says has been working to establish links between Azeris and Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh with the aim of promoting some degree of reconciliation.

Both sides blame the other for provoking last fall’s conflict, and while both are former Soviet republics, they are divided by culture, religion and allegiance to the region’s great powers. Azerbaijan is an ally of Turkey, while Armenia has strong ties to Russia, which maintains military bases there.

The conflict over who should control Nagorno-Karabakh, roughly the size of Delaware, could also flare up again if the two sides fail to build bridges to each other.

Many Armenians have already called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign for adhering to the armistice and condemning it as an act of capitulation. Members of the Armenian diaspora in the US, Europe and elsewhere have warned Azerbaijan to grant equal rights and protections to Armenians who could choose to return to areas now under Azerbaijani control.

Azerbaijani officials accuse Armenian troops of using banned cluster bombs against some Azerbaijani cities, such as Barda, during last fall’s conflict, a claim supported by a recent report by Amnesty International.

Each side also accuses the others of continuing to mistreat prisoners of war. Both deny the other’s claims.

Hikmet Hajiyev, chief policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, acknowledged that finding common ground is a challenge, but the two sides have already agreed to work together to revive Nagorno-Karabakh’s shabby economy and bring about trade. – and rail links, an important part of peace. deal. The Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia are expected to meet in Moscow on Saturday to begin talks.

“In any military operation, sometimes winning the war is much easier than winning peace,” said Mr Hajiyev.

Ali Hajizade, a political analyst in Baku, said that without reconciliation between ordinary Azeris and Armenians, lasting peace will be impossible. “This is an achievable goal, but this is not possible now,” he said.

Azerbaijan appears to have the upper hand in the peace process. Funded in part by oil wealth, its military capability is far superior to that of Armenia. Reclaiming territory lost to Armenia during the collapse of the Soviet Union has long been a goal for the leaders, and enthusiasm for the territorial gains in Nagorno-Karabakh is palpable.

Celebrations have spread across Azerbaijan since the armistice was signed and local media still brag about the triumph. At the immigration and baggage halls at Baku International Airport, signs on the walls and above passport inspection booths greet arriving passengers with the statement, “Karabakh is ours. Karabakh is Azerbaijan. “

“For the past 30 years, Azerbaijan’s social life, economic life, foreign policy, you name it, everything was devoted to just one problem: Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Ahmad Alili, director of the Caucasus Policy Analysis Center, a independent think tank. in Baku.

Those who have lost loved ones in the conflict fear their sacrifice will not be overlooked as the two countries begin work towards a lasting peace, he warns.

“All that remains for the parents or wife of a fallen soldier is that the name of the son or husband is not forgotten,” said Mr Alili.

During her last telephone conversation with her son, Ms. Budaqova told him to be careful. He told her that the day before their call, about 20 Azerbaijani soldiers had died in Fizuli, a district that Azerbaijan had recaptured. Mr. Budaqov went there to help secure the area before their bodies could be collected.

While artillery fire was raining down, he was caught in a crossfire. A bullet cut an artery in his leg and he bled out, his mother was told.

She and her sister mourn their loss in the living room that also serves as a shrine to Mr. Budaqov. Posters with his photo hang on the outside gate and on the fence, something that other families who lost children in the war also do. The walls inside are covered with photo collages from when he was a kid and when he first joined the military. His image adorns the face of a wall clock, which hangs next to one of his first army uniforms.

He was not afraid to go to the front, Ms. Budaqova said, adding that she believes the war was worth it if Azerbaijan were to reclaim lost land.

“But if my son were still around it would be much better,” she said.

Write to Ann M. Simmons at [email protected]