Nagorno-Karabakh: conclusion of ceasefire causes sharp political crisis in Armenia
Immediately after the announcement of a ceasefire, demonstrators took to the streets of Yerevan to protest its terms.
Here, a protester outside Armenian police in the capital, November 10, 2020. REUTERS / Artem Mikryukov
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5 mins
While the fighting stops in Nagorno-Karabakh after the ceasefire proclaimed on the night of Monday to Tuesday, a political crisis begins in Yerevan.
The Armenian president is now trying to seize power from Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian, who signed this agreement under the aegis of Moscow.
There, the tension is palpable.
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Still shocked, sometimes very angry and often deeply sad: the inhabitants of Yerevan woke up this Tuesday with a bitter taste in their mouths with the end
of a six-week war, announced in the middle of the night
, reports our special correspondent to Yerevan,
Anissa El Jabri
On the ground, a little less than 2,000 Russian soldiers continue to deploy on the front line, a deployment that is sometimes complicated.
In Shusha on Tuesday morning, Armenian soldiers refused to give up the fight.
This symbolic city, both for Baku and for Yerevan, will remain under the control of Azerbaijan, as stipulated in the agreement.
Nagorno-Karabakh wakes up with an amputation of a territory, without any guarantee on its future status, and with seven neighboring districts which must be returned to Azerbaijan.
Armenian president unaware of deal
These territorial losses are the trigger of an open political crisis in Armenia, the president saying that he was not made aware of this agreement: Armen Sarkissian is now seeking to constitute a government of national unity.
On Monday, even before the end of the war, the entire opposition demanded the departure of Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian.
So much tension in a nervous Yerevan, where we see reservists in fatigues shouting their anger in the streets and rumors of coup d'etat circulating.
Demonstrators burst into the seat of government
Monday evening, when the ceasefire was announced, clashes erupted in the Armenian capital.
Thousands of angry protesters stormed the area surrounding government headquarters.
Hundreds of them even managed to break into the premises, smashing windows and ransacking offices.
The same goes for Parliament, whose president has been the victim of attacks.
“
Hundreds and probably thousands of our young people have died since September 27, the start of hostilities, for this conflict.
And there, we surrender our weapons and we abandon part of our territory,
”said the Armenians.
The Prime Minister sold us.
Nikol Pachinian sold Armenia, he's a traitor.
The Prime Minister is the country's first traitor.
We are waiting for explanations, we are looking for him and he is no longer here, it's a shame!
The anger of the Armenians following the announcement of the ceasefire
Anissa El Jabri
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