Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree to New Ceasefire After U.S. Intervention
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
After American intervention, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to recommit to a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region after violating two separate temporary peace agreements reached on Oct. 10 in Moscow and Oct. 17 in Paris, according to a State Department release issued Sunday. The ceasefire will take effect at 12 a.m. Eastern time on Oct. 26 and comes after the deaths of hundreds of soldiers, according to official counts from Armenia, and dozens of civilians, according to the United Nations. The Guardian’s local sources in the region say that at least 70,000 civilians have been displaced by the escalated conflict. The initial Oct. 10 ceasefire was intended to allow both sides to recover bodies. The State Department’s announcement Sunday comes hours after Azerbaijan’s president said he wouldn’t accept an unconditioned ceasefire, demanding Armenia withdraw its armed forces from the disputed region, which ethnic Armenians in the region have declared the Republic of Artsakh. On the campaign trail in New Hampshire on Sunday, President Trump called the conflict “an easy one,” having previously mentioned he aimed to help Armenia.