Vaհe H Apelian
September 20, 2023, is a deeply significant and somber date for Armenians, marking the day the self-declared Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Russia that effectively led to its military defeat and dissolution.
This date marks a pivotal moment in the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In essence, September 20, 2023, represents the date of the fall of Artsakh and the beginning of the end of thousands of years of Armenian presence in the region and after decades of conflict.
Following a 24-hour military offensive launched by Azerbaijan on September 19, the authorities in Artsakh agreed to the Russian-brokered ceasefire leading to cessation of hostilities paving the way for another tragic moment in Armenian history.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Artsakh Defense Army was to disband and disarm, and all state institutions were subsequently decreed to be dissolved by January 1, 2024, effectively ending the entity's de facto independence. The Republic of Artaksh thus capitulated.
The military action and surrender and the fall of Artsakh leadership, triggered a mass flight of nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Over 100,000 people started fleeing their homes facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
I have attached some of the reactions posted on Facebook. God knows how we will react to this date in the years and decades to come. But this is how people reacted and posted on the Facebook on the spur of the moment. The English wording, next to the Armenian on the same post, is my translation. Vahe H Apelian
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"We are alone and must rely only on our own strength. Let the church bells ring." |
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| "Today EVRYTHING ended massacred and broken into pieces" |
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