Vision Logo Circle
Vision Logo Circle

Christians Caught In Deadly Battle For Former Soviet Union Enclave

by | Tue, Dec 27 2022

Text size: A- A+

Christians who live in a disputed enclave between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan are being starved of food and medical supplies.

It’s the latest provocation in a long and deadly battle for control of the territory of Nagorno Karabakh which has claimed thousands of lives over the past half century.

Faithwire reports that Azerbaijani residents have blockaded the only road from Armenia into the enclave which is home to 120,000 Armenians.

The situation is so dire a group of human rights organisations have issued a genocide warning.

Azerbaijan blames Russian peacekeepers who are responsible for the region.

It also accuses Armenia of illegal mining and placing landmines in the territory.

Natural gas supplies were also cut off but have since been restored.

While the government of Azerbaijan is secular and not officially Islamic, the nation’s populace is predominantly Muslim.

Joel Veldkamp from Christian Solidarity International claims Azerbaijan wants the mostly Christian people of Nagorno-Karabakh “destroyed.”

He observed that the dispute sees the interests of the United States and Christians collide and overlap:

“As believers, we should look at Armenia and say, ‘This is the oldest Christian country in the world. This is a country that’s held on to Christianity through genocide, through Soviet Communism, through the gulags, and they’re hanging on to life. They have some of the oldest Christian traditions in the world, and they need our help.’”

From a geopolitical perspective, Mr. Veldkamp noted that the US is always looking to diminish Russia’s influence in the region.

He says it already gives military aid to Azerbaijan and that’s why it’s desperately trying to bring the two sides together.

“These are really crucial weeks and months ahead,” he warned.