The World Council of Churches has expressed “grave concern” over renewed fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region involving Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Scores of people – including some civilians – have reportedly died and many more been injured in fighting since Sunday which the WCC says risks provoking a wider armed conflict in the region. Both sides have accused the other of using heavy artillery.
Rev Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, interim general secretary of the WCC, said in a statement that he lamented “the tragic loss of lives” and expressed his condolences to the grieving families as well as praying for those injured.
“To stop this bloodshed, the WCC calls on all combatants to desist immediately from further military action and to return to the table of dialogue and negotiation,” he said.
Sauca appealed for members of the Minsk Group, which operates under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and is co-chaired by France, Russia and the US, to make progress in working towards a peaceful, long-term solution to the long-standing conflict.
He also expressed “dismay” at the “aggressively partisan stance” taken by the Turkish Government, a member of Minsk Group, and called on WCC member churches located in Minsk Group countries “to engage with their governments to convey this message and to encourage urgent and sustained diplomatic efforts for peace in the region”.
In a statement released on Sunday, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group – Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the US, appealed for hostilities to cease immediately and for negotiations to resume.
“We strongly condemn the use of force and regret the senseless loss of life, including civilians…” they said. “The Co-Chairs call on the sides to take all necessary measures to stabilize the situation on the ground and reiterate that there is no alternative to a peaceful negotiated solution of the conflict.”