Tazeen Akhtar
Do not enter areas where you are not guided!
Protect yourself and your loved ones from the danger of land mine!
These are the cautions that the citizens of Azerbaijan are supposed to observe strictly while returning to their homes in the territories of Karabakh, liberated from the illegal occupation of Armenia in the Second Karabakh war fought from 27 Sep to 10 Nov 2020 that was started by neighboring Armenia but was concluded by Azerbaijan.
Land mines continue to be a serious hazard in Karabakh, causing numerous casualties, particularly after the 2020 ceasefire agreement. The mediators should ask Armenian side ; Peace with Land Mines is possible?
Latest on on May 30, 2025 in Qiziloba village of Tartar region, Huseynov Telman Ahmad oglu was injured in his right leg as a result of an anti-pedestrian mine explosion. On 31 May 2025, a mine incident occurred in the territory of Yenikand village of Goranboy region. A citizen Abbasov Galib Kamran oglu fell into a land mine and lost his one leg to save the life.
Azerbaijan is the only the worst hit country due to land mines in the whole world. The mines are taking the lives of innocent citizens even 5 years passed after second Karabakh War fought from 27 Sep to 10 Nov 2020 that was started by neighboring Armenia but was concluded by Azerbaijan. Armenia despite all out support from some powerful countries had to lose illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
The wounds licking enemy took revenge by laying land mines in these territories and refused to share the maps of the mines even after signing of peace agreement with Russia’s mediation. 12 percent of the country’s territory is polluted by 1.5 million mines and an unknown number of unexploded ordnances.
According to official sources of Azerbaijan, since the end of the war in 2020, 361 citizens, mostly civilians, have fallen victim to mine explosions, resulting in 68 deaths and 293 severe injuries. Overall 3,400 citizens have suffered from mines, including 358 children and 38 women.
Tartar, Aghdara, Kalbajar, Kalbachin, Shusha, Fuzuli, Gubadli, Jabrayil, Zangilan are the main territories where Armenia fixed the land mines while retreating from these illegally occupied regions of Azerbaijan.
Adhering to bans on mines only in peace time will not work: UN rights chief
The land mines are not only taking lives of innocent people but damaging the environment and fertility of the soil as well. This side of the problem was highlighted in the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP29 hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku.
The parties have been working on this topic under the theme “Mitigating Environmental Impact of Landmines: Resource Mobilization for Safe and Green Future,”. A conference particularly covered the issue in May 2024.
Plastic waste resulting from an explosion entails environmental consequences by negatively impacting soil structure. Mines that remain unearthed for a long time can lead to hazardous chemical reactions. The soil not in use due to the threat of mines is subjected to erosion and abrasion
Azerbaijan, so far, has cleared more than 200 thousand hectares of land from the danger of mine and other explosive remnants of war. More than 119,946 mines and unexploded ordnances have been recovered. Yet, mined areas stretch far beyond that. Mines are easy to plant but mine clearance is a much more difficult and complex process. For that, Large-scale humanitarian mine cleaning activity continues in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur within the framework of the Great Return Program.
Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) reported last year that in May 2024 only , 251 anti-pedestrian, 141 anti-tank mines and 1068 unexploded military ammunition were detected and neutralized during the mine clearing operations carried out in the territories were detected and defused.
President of Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev rightly said at an event previously held in Baku , “Today, mines and unexploded ordnance continue to remain an acute problem posing a threat to people’s security across many countries. Along with jeopardizing human life, the mines seriously challenge socioeconomic development, damage the environment and cultural heritage, hinder post-war recovery and development initiatives, and ultimately impede the Sustainable Development Goals, even decades after wars have ended.”
Approximately 800 thousand citizens are to be rehabilitated in the newly liberated areas where the land mines have been fixed. Development of infrastructure is also an urgent need there because Armenia destroyed everything while retreating including the basic living facilities. The mines are not only taking the lives but hindering the pace of development as well.
ARMENIA’S ONGOING LANDMINE TERROR AGAINST AZERBAIJAN – by Javid Shahverdiyev
Azerbaijan has mobilized all its strength and is using the most advanced and cutting-edge technologies available worldwide, implementing measures to enhance efficiency in mine clearance that has significantly improved the situation compared to previous years but total clearance is not possible without the maps that Armenia is not ready to share.
Sensitizing the international community about their contribution in this human safety task, the country is implementing humanitarian de-mining at its own expense. Adequate political and practical support from the international community for mitigating the humanitarian consequences of mines and de-mining the affected areas are of utmost significance.
Azerbaijan has simultaneously launched multiple initiatives to attract the international community’s attention to this matter. The country, last year, officially declared humanitarian de-mining as the 18th National Sustainable Development Goal, and working to ensure the recognition of this issue as the UN’s Global 18th SDG.
An initiative has been launched to establish a Special Contact Group on Humanitarian De-mining within the Non-Aligned Movement. The Contact Group has begun operating since September 2023.
At the 15th meeting of the states-parties to the “1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,” held in 2023, a resolution titled “The Impact of Mines on Cultural Heritage” was adopted upon Azerbaijan’s initiative. As a follow-up to this momentous resolution, Azerbaijan hosted a special conference in Aghdam this May, themed “The Impact of Mines and Unexploded Ordnance on Cultural Property.”
These measures demonstrate Azerbaijan’s determination to tackle the mine issue while at the other side, Armenia has been reluctant to contribute in these efforts, adopting every cowardly and tricky way to hit and hert Azerbaijan for last 31 years in general and from 2020 to 2023 in particular for Azerbaijan thwarted Armenian aggression again and again to extreme disappointment of this irresponsible state of South Caucasus.
Armenia can be seen in her continued reluctance to providing the maps of the mines that can surely help the victim country to save lives from further loss. The steady increase in the number of mine victims is associated with Armenia’s refusal to provide accurate maps of the mines. International community, especially the supporters of Armenia, that also pose as the mediators and peace lovers, should persuade Armenia to act humanly by sharing the maps of the land mines.
(The writer is MSc Mass Comm and a regular contributor on Armenia Azerbaijan conflict in South Caucasus. He can be reached @ tazeen303@gmail.com)
