Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was founded in 1918. It remained an independent nation until the Soviet Union’s occupation in 1920. In 1989, intellectual elites and a nation commenced their fight for independence and democracy. Azerbaijan declared independence in 1991.

History of conflict and current explosive threats

In 1988, Karabakh’s ethnic Armenians claimed that the territory be transferred from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia. This was the start of the conflict. In the early 1990s, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia escalated into a full-scale war, which ended with a ceasefire signed in 1994.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, which had become a grave threat to international peace and security due to its interstate nature, caused a heated debate within international organizations, paving the way for the adoption of several important documents on the issue.  The UN Security Council adopted Resolutions 822, 853, 874, 884 that condemned the occupation of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and demanded the withdrawal of the occupying forces from settlement and other recently occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

For 27 years, internationally recognized regions of Azerbaijan were occupied. More than a million Azerbaijanis were forcibly displaced from their native lands as a result of the conflict. It became a low-intensity conflict between 1994 and 2016, until a four-day escalation in April 2016, and then a full-scale war in 2020 resulted with liberation of internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan.

The 44 days war lasted from September 27 to November 10, 2020, has left Azerbaijan with a new, large, and complex mine and other explosive ordnance threat in the Karabakh region, primarily in liberated districts: Zangilan, Qubadli, Jebrayil, Fuzuli, Agdam, Khojavend, Lachin, and Kalbajar. Over a period of 27 years, the Armenian Armed Forces constructed the complex defence line along the contact line with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

The defence line consists of combined 3 layers of minefields and complex military obstacles. Minefield areas also found in beyond of former called contact line. According to the ANAMA data majority of incident places identified in beyond of former called contact line. Especially agricultural land, river banks, cemeteries etc… found contaminated by explosive ordnances. During the withdrawal in 2020, the Armenian army laid hasty minefields in numerous regions of Karabakh. The main threat is represented by anti-tank mines and anti-personnel mines, but unexploded ordnance (UXO) and cluster munitions also a widespread problem. The explosive dangers have a devastating effect on the reconstruction of the Karabakh region, impeding large-scale infrastructure projects, and posing a threat to returning internally displaced individuals (IDPs).

Survey and Clearance

Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) was established over 20 years ago and has grown into a mature and technically competent mine action organisation.  It has a well-resourced and internationally acclaimed training capability, developed primarily to fulfil its own planning, quality management and technical guidance functions, but also to support establishing a broad mine action capacity within the country.  

SafeLane commenced survey and clearance operations in Azerbaijan in 2021 conducting manual demining and Battle Area Clearance using manual, mine detection dogs and mechanical demining assets.

It is working in close partnership with Qaya Safety, an established Azerbaijan demining company, to clear UXO and landmines in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Currently operations are conducting in Jebrayil district under the coordination ANAMA.

With experience in-country and the ability to rapidly deploy to support client operations, contact SafeLane to discuss your project in Azerbaijan.  Discover how we can help you stay on time, budget and safe from the threats of landmines and other explosive ordnance.

Azerbaijan office address:

AZ1007, Baku City Nasimi District,

Feyzulla Gasimzadeh,

House 4, Apartment 75