Armenians are now fleeing the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan has escalated and is evolving into ethnic conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh's population is majority Armenian and Azerbaijan sees it as part of it territory. A de facto government was in place, but few nations recognized Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. Azerbaijan is set to take over the break away region and there is speculation more areas could be seized. Reports of ethnic violence have been circulating. Armenians are left with two choices. Either stay in Nagorno-Karabakh and accept being citizens of Azerbaijan. The other option is to flee to Armenia. The fear of reprisals has made Armenians want to leave. Crackdowns are going to follow in an effort to bring the region back into Azerbaijan. Russia at one time sent a peacekeeping force to the region. Some do remain, but the situation in Europe means Russia will not focus on the South Caucasus. The military action will only increase the power of President Ilham Aliyev. The conquest also has implications for Armenia's own security. Turkey and Azerbaijan are allies. Both countries have an ethnic hatred of Armenians. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did offer to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan. The condition was that the Armenian population would have their right protected and would not face racial discrimination. The peace offer was rejected. The first war lasted from 1988 to 1994. The following conflicts emerged from the power void left after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The war in 2020 resulted in a ceasefire. The conditions in 2023 were different considering Prime Minister Pashinyan is facing massive opposition. The refugees are a symbol of Armenia's defeat by an enemy. Armenian refugees now face the challenge of getting resettled in other aeras.
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