The Lavender Guard expresses solidarity with the people of Armenia who are under renewed military assault by Azerbaijan. The Armenian National Assembly has put out this statement:
On September 13, 2022, at 00:05, units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, using artillery, mortars and anti-aircraft fire, simultaneously opened intense fire at the Armenian positions located in several areas of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border… Both military and civilian infrastructure are being hit. In some directions, Azerbaijani units are undertaking positional advancement operations in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
Statement Of The National Assembly Of The Republic of Armenia On The Armed Attack Of Azerbaijan, September 13 2022
So far 49 victims have been confirmed dead by the Ministry of Defense. Azerbaijan has claimed that their actions were a response to Armenian provocations, but Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has firmly denied this, stating:
Azerbaijan tries to present that [these military] actions have been in response to the Armenian side’s provocations. We should definitely record that that information is absolutely fake, false and does not correspond to the reality.
Speech by RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Created Situation in RA, September 13 2022
Meanwhile the Republic of Artsakh, a predominantly Armenian populated (over 99%) enclave situated within the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, released the following statement as well:
[We strongly condemn] the aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia on September 13, the use of force and bombing of the sovereign territory of Armenia.
These actions are a clear manifestation of Armenophobia, genocidal policy and gross violation of international law and norms.
We call on the international community to strongly condemn the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan, refraining from amorphous and untargeted appeals and assessments, to take appropriate measures against the aggressor.
Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh, September 13 2022
Azerbaijan has repeatedly attempted to ethnically cleanse the Republic of Artsakh and has refused to recognize the republic’s sovereignty. International recognition has been a longstanding struggle, with only a handful of US states (and cities) recognizing the republic’s independence—the republic remains mostly unrecognized to this day. War had broken out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Artsakh in 2020, with Azerbaijan claiming territory and numerous Armenian lives as well. Later that year, Russia was successful in brokering a ceasefire between the two nations. But now that Russia is preoccupied with its invasion of Ukraine, tensions between the two nations have resurfaced, with Armenia once again calling on Russia for aid. Whether Russia will be willing or able to do so, whether the provocations will result in all-out war or with another ceasefire, remains to be seen.
Furthermore, though not a direct member of NATO, Azerbaijan has had strong relationships and cooperation with the Western imperialist bloc since the formation of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1992. Since then Azerbaijan was involved in the imperialist interventions in Kosovo (1999), Iraq (2003), and Afghanistan (2002). Though not a primary player in these conflicts, as anti-imperialists we are nevertheless compelled to oppose the imperialist running dogs of Azerbaijan.
Thus, we call on the international community to finally recognize the sovereignty of the Republic of Artsakh, to condemn Azerbaijan aggression, and to promote a peaceful resolution to the crisis. International recognition would be a major first step towards discouraging further escalation. We also encourage international condemnation for Ukraine, Israel, and Turkey for their unforgivable military partnerships with Azerbaijan, among other factors.
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