State Sovereignty Day (Azerbaijani: Dövlət Suverenliyi Günü) is a day commemorating the reclaiming of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Republic of Azerbaijan following the 2023 offensive in the disputed region. It is celebrated according to the decree "On establishing the Day of State Sovereignty in the Republic of Azerbaijan" signed by President Ilham Aliyev on September 19, 2024.
| State Sovereignty Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | Azerbaijani: Dövlət Suverenliyi Günü |
| Date | 20 September |
| Next time | 20 September 2025 |
Historical context
editUnder the Soviet Union, the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh was established as an autonomous oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, with a majority ethnically Armenian population.[1] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War began in 1988 between Armenia and Azerbaijan over control of the region, with the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh formally declaring its independence from Azerbaijan on January 6, 1992. During the war, Armenian forces captured most of Nagorno-Karabakh, alongside parts of seven Azerbaijani-majority districts surrounding the enclave. On May 5, 1994, the Bishkek Protocol, a Russian-mediated ceasefire protocol, ended the fighting along the Line of Contact, but did not provide a resolution to the larger conflict. Both sides engaged in ethnic cleansing during the war.[2]
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War took place between September and November 2020. Following the capture of Shusha by Azerbaijan, a ceasefire agreement was signed on November 10, 2020 under Russian mediation. Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh (with the exception of the Lachin corridor) and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh itself came under Azerbaijani control, while the remaining territories were to be patrolled by a Russian peacekeeping force.[3] In December 2022, Azerbaijani protesters started a blockade of the Lachin corridor, with the backing of the Azerbaijani government.[4]
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against the Republic of Artsakh.[5] On September 20, a ceasefire agreement described as a written agreement for the surrender of Artsakh was reached at the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.[6] The Artsakh Defence Army laid down their weapons and withdrew from combat positions and military posts. As a result, Azerbaijan fully reclaimed the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.[7] The offensive resulted in a flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, in which nearly the entire population fled to nearby countries, primarily Armenia,[8] which was described by international experts as a war crime.[9]
Establishment
editState Sovereignty Day is observed based on the decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on September 19, 2024, titled "On the Establishment of State Sovereignty Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan." The decree states:[10]
- Thus, September 20 will be observed annually as the State Sovereignty Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to address issues arising from this order
References
edit- ^ "Conflicts in the Caucasus". UNHCR publication for CIS Conference (Displacement in the CIS). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 1996. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "How the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been shaped by past empires". National Geographic. 2023-09-25. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh: Russia deploys peacekeeping troops to region". BBC News. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ Demytrie, Rayhan (6 January 2023). "Nagorno-Karabakh: Empty shops and blockade pile pressure on Armenians". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Roth, Andrew (19 September 2023). "Azerbaijan launches 'anti-terrorist' campaign in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Karabakh separatists to disband after surrender to Azerbaijan". France 24. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ "Russia says Armenian separatists surrender arms after Azerbaijan reclaims Nagorno-Karabakh". AP News. 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Demourian, Avet (October 2, 2023). "Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh ebbs as Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control". New York: Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Deutsch, Anthony; van den Berg, Stephanie (29 September 2023). "Nagorno-Karabakh exodus amounts to a war crime, legal experts say". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Azərbaycan Respublikasında Dövlət Suverenliyi Gününün təsis edilməsi haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Sərəncamı". president.az. 2024-09-19. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-09-19.