Today, September 27, is the second-year anniversary of the beginning of the 2020 Karabakh war. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has had continuous escalations since the 1994 ceasefire and was never actually "frozen", flared up again very sharply on that day.
At that time, we were so unaware that during the next 44 days, from both sides about 7000 soldiers, hundreds of civilians will die, more than 22 thousand soldiers will be injured, and hundreds of war prisoners and 100 thousand internally displaced persons will be faced with the destruction of this war. For those whose relatives and loved ones are not among these figures, these losses might be seen as just numbers. But it doesn't take much-sophisticated analysis to see the 44-day war, in which grievances, collective traumas and pains are renewed and passed on to new generations, beyond the dichotomy of victory and defeat: What we gain will not replace what we lose.
The territorial advantages achieved by Azerbaijan in the Second Karabakh War do not promise much for today and the future. If the so-called promised "peace" is to resettle the Azerbaijanis to Karabakh by removing Armenians from there with a revanchist attitude and the fear of a conflict escalating, then this is nothing but instigating peace.
Peace is possible not only in the absence of violence, but in a situation where deep resentments are resolved, and reconciliation is possible. The 2nd year anniversary of the 44-day war is a time to rethink peace and war.
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