Armenia (MNN) — Armenia and Azerbaijan, rival nations in the Southern Caucasus, could be on the road to further conflict. Azerbaijan has seized several chunks of Armenian territory in recent months.
Years of conflict
Open war broke out for six weeks in 2020, killing more than 7,000 soldiers. At that time, Russia brokered a ceasefire and sent peacekeeping troops, but they have not prevented flare-ups in violence since then.
And the invasion of Ukraine has exhausted Russia’s focus and resources. Azerbaijan gained territory during the 2020 conflict. With Armenia’s major ally, Russia, occupied in Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s advantage grows even stronger.
Eric Mock with the Slavic Gospel Association says, “There are cultural, religious, and political issues that manage to keep the situation in constant tension, constant fighting. Even though there is a ceasefire, the word ceasefire, much like what we see in Ukraine today, means a status quo in the middle of the fighting.”
“There remains a difficulty between these countries over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.”
Local churches
SGA serves churches in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Mock says believers rush into embattled areas, bringing help and hope in Jesus’ name. “It’s very easy to get into the habit of choosing geographical or political sides, but we who are in Christ have chosen the kingdom of heaven as our side.”
Many civilians caught up in the war suffered greatly, especially those who lived in the disputed territories. Their homes switched hands from Armenia to Azerbaijan as the latter gained territory during the 2020 war.
Pray many will find comfort and peace in the love of Jesus. You can support these local churches through SGA.
The header photo shows a missile that landed in an Armenian village during a September bout of violence. (Photo courtesy of the Official YouTube channel of Ministry of Defence of Armenia, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
