Baku
A ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region was failing to hold on Monday as the two Caucasus rivals exchanged renewed fire. Meanwhile international mediators attempted to relaunch efforts for a sustained truce.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have for the last two weeks engaged in bitter fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of Azerbaijan controlled by Armenians after a 1990s war and whose independence is recognised by no other state.
The clashes, the worst since a 1994 ceasefire, have sparked fears of a regional conflict with Turkey backing Azerbaijan, Armenia seeking to pull ex-Soviet ally Russia in on its side and Iran looking on warily.
After 11 hours of talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Moscow, the two sides agreed early Saturday to a humanitarian ceasefire. But repeated clashes have so far made a mockery of the truce deal.—AFP
