SHOOTING DISRUPTS MARCH 29 OSCE MONITORING MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000458 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SNEC, EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS OSCE AJ AM SUBJECT: SHOOTING DISRUPTS MARCH 29 OSCE MONITORING MISSION ON LINE OF CONTACT REF: 05 YEREVAN 1717 Classified By: CDA A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk told CDA on March 31 that he called off a March 29 cease fire monitoring event because shots were fired in the vicinity and neither the "N-K" nor the Azeri side could account for their origin. A report signed by OSCE Special Representatives Andrzej Kasprzyk of the shooting (text below) will be delivered in the coming days to the OSCE Permanent Council. According to Kasprzyk, the situation along the line of contact remains very tense. End Summary. -------------- -------------- OSCE SPECIAL REP. CONFIRMS SUSPENSION OF MONITORING -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk and Personal Representative to the OSCE Chairman in Office Peter Keay (UK National) each led teams of monitors on the line of contact (LOC) between N-K Armenian and Azerbaijani forces March 29. Ambassador Kasprzyk led the team on the N-K side and Keay led the team on the Azeri side. -------------- -------------- FOUR SHOTS BEFORE MONITORS EXCHANGED SECURITY GUARANTEES -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Ambassador Kasprzyk suspended the monitoring event after his team registered two single shots fired in the vicinity of his monitoring site, a third shot when Keay's team arrived at their positions on the Azeri side, and a forth shot shortly thereafter. According to Kasprzyk, the shots came from the same direction and "a great distance." Three of the four shots were likely from a standard semi-automatic rifle. One shot had a "much louder, deeper sound," which Kasprzyk told us he feared was one of the new sniper rifles he knew to be in use now on both sides of the LOC. -------------- "WE DID NOT DO IT" -------------- ¶4. (C) Local commanders from both sides separately reported that their sides had not fired shots. Kasprzyk said the Azeri local commander claimed that, from their positions, the Azeri soldiers had not heard shots -- a fact Kasprzyk said he immediately dismissed because he had personally registered the shots. Kasprzyk said the local commander on the N-K side was forthcoming, acknowledged he had heard the shots, and agreed that they came from the direction of the LOC. Kasprzyk said he judged the incident as either a "lack of control" on the Azeri side or shots of unknown origin fired from uncontrolled positions. -------------- -------------- KASPRZYK: AZERIS PROVOKING CEASE FIRE VIOLATIONS -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) "I am almost sure that the Azeris are provoking many of the cease fire violations," Kasprzyk told the CDA after returning from the monitoring mission. "The situation is very tense," he said. The Azeri side was seeking to improve their trench positions and was moving closer to the Armenian side, he said. Though he said he believed that the frequency of cease-fire events had not significantly increased, he believed the introduction of higher-powered, higher-caliber weapons on both sides of the line of contact had increased the frequency of deaths and casualties. -------------- -------------- OSCE REPORT NO. 156 ON MONITORING THE LINE OF CONTACT -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) The OSCE Monitoring Report follows. (Note: Internal paragraph markings and OSCE classification. Original in English. End Note.) Begin text: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the Conflict Dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS Report No. 156 on Monitoring on the Line of Contact 29 March 2006 1 Basic Data on the Monitoring 1.1 Introductory remarks The Monitoring on the LOC was initiated by the Personal Representative (PR) of the CiO. The PR requested the Monitoring to be held on 29 March 2006 in the vicinity of the village of Seysulan, in the Northern part of the LOC. The last Monitoring in this area took place on 12 January 2006 (MR 152). The aim of the Monitoring was to verify the current situation in view of reports of intensified shooting incidents along this part of the LOC. The Monitoring was canceled before the first set of security guarantees as a result of shots heard in the vicinity of the Monitoring site. 1.2 Monitoring Requests and Security Guarantees On 17 March 2006, a Field Assistant presented a Monitoring Request to the Azerbaijani MFA. The Azerbaijani side responded positively on 27 March and offered security guarantees in their response. A corresponding request was presented to the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) authorities on 20 March 2006. They responded positively on 24 March in a letter that also included security guarantees. 1.3 Place of the Monitoring The Monitoring on the LOC was due to take place east of the village of Seysulan in the northern part of the LOC. Team No.1 (NK side) OSCE Monitoring Team Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the CiO (Poland) Lt. Col. Imre Palatinus, Office Co-ordinator (Hungary) Olexander Samarskyi, Field Assistant (Ukraine) Escort Personnel ¶A. Baghryan, "MFA" Maj. M. Arushunyan, "MOD" Lt. Col. N. Avanesyan, local commander Lt. Col. S. Ambartsumyan, local commander Team No.2 Azerbaijani side) OSCE Monitoring Team Peter Keay, Field Assistant (United Kingdom) Harri Eronen, Field Assistant (Finland) Escort Personnel ¶O. Ismayil-Zade, MFA Capt. R. Kerimov, MoD Lt. Col. G. Guseynov, local commander Maj. M. Qasimov, deputy local commander ¶2. Detailed account of the Monitoring 2.1 Course of the Monitoring The two Teams traveled in a total of four clearly marked OSCE vehicles, two on the Azerbaijani and two on the NK side. General visibility was good, up to 20 kilometers, and weather conditions were good. As Team 2 was traveling to the position from where commanders were due to give the first set of security guarantees, Team 1, already at its covered position, registered two single shots fired in the vicinity of the Monitoring site. After Team 2 arrived at their position, a third shot was registered by Team 1. The PR requested both sides to investigate the source of the firing and received confirmation from both sides that no shots had been fired from their positions at the Monitoring site or neighboring positions. The Azerbaijani local commander also informed that no shots were heard by his servicemen or at adjacent sectors. As this information did not correspond with the fact that shots had been clearly heard by Team 1, the PR took the decision to cancel the Monitoring for security reasons. Team 1 Team 1 met the local military commanders in Mardakert-Agdere and was given a briefing on the situation on the LOC. The two vehicles of Team 1, escorted by one vehicle from the NK side moved to a covered position and where they halted to obtain security guarantees. Three single shots were registered by the Team. As Team 1 was waiting to leave, a fourth shot was registered. Team 2 Team 2 was given a briefing in Terter by the Deputy Head of the Local Executive and military commanders. After the briefing, the two vehicles of Team 2, escorted by one vehicle from the Azerbaijani side, moved to a point approximately 3 km north of the village of Kapanly where they halted to obtain security guarantees. At this point, the Team was informed by Team 1 that shots had been heard in the vicinity of the Monitoring site and the Monitoring was halted. After the PR requested information from the Azerbaijani side, the local commander confirmed with officers at the Monitoring site and neighboring commanders that no shots had been fired. Local and neighboring commanders also informed that no shots had been heard. 2.2 Information obtained during Monitoring as stated by the respective Parties Team No.1 (NK side): Cease-fire violations Team 1 was given a list of fourteen cease-fire violations on the whole of the LOC since the last Monitoring on 10 March ¶2006. Ten of these violations were said to have taken place in the Mardakert/ Agdere sector, where this Monitoring was held. Of the remaining violations, three were reported in the Hadrut sector and one in the Agdam sector. No casualties were recorded. According to local commanders assault rifles, sniper rifles and light and heavy machine guns were used by the Azerbaijani side. It was stated that the situation is most tense in the proximity of the Azerbaijani villages of Kapanly, Tapkarakoyunlu, Borsunlu and Alhanly. Other Military Information Local commanders stated that the Azerbaijani side has been conducting engineering works, continuing to fortify its positions and move them forward. According to them, this movement forward has created disorder within Azerbaijani units and as a result on one occasion they even shot at each other. Local commanders expressed concern at the proximity of the positions. They stated that as a result, the Azerbaijani side was able to use a sub-machine gun's grenade launcher to fire into NK trenches. Mines No mine incidents were reported on the NK side, but the Team was given a list of five mine explosions that were said to have taken place on the Azerbaijani side of the LOC since the last Monitoring. Civil Affairs The Team clearly saw a shepherd and a flock of sheep on the Azerbaijani side approximately 700 meters behind the LOC. Team No.2 (Azerbaijani side) Cease-fire violations: The local commander stated that the situation in this part of the LOC has not improved since the last Monitoring in the area on 12 January, and tension remains high. There are almost daily cease-fire violations, both during the day and night. Firing mainly comes from Seysulan, Levonarkh and Talysh, using automatic rifles, and light- and heavy-caliber machine guns. He added that the use of sniper fire has significantly increased since the beginning of the year, especially from destroyed buildings in the village of Seysulan. In the past six weeks, the NK side has begun firing into the village of Kiziloba (formerly Karmiravan) deserted by civilians, possibly targeting cattle or simply for target practice. The local commander stated that there has been no movement of positions, although he added that the NK side continues to strengthen existing ones. Since the last Monitoring on 12 January, four servicemen were reported to have been killed on this part of the LOC, two in Kiziloba (7 and 22 March),and two in Jamelya (17 March). Four soldiers were also reported to have been injured on this part of the LOC since the last Monitoring, in Gasangaya (11 February and 2 March) and in Jamelya (17 and 19 March). The local commander reported that the violation of the cease-fire on 17 March in Jamelya, which resulted in casualties, lasted for more than 40 minutes. He stated that the increase in shooting by the NK side may have been an attempt to disrupt the Azerbaijani Novruz Bayram holiday. No civilian casualties were reported. According to the local commander this is as a result of the fact that civilians are too afraid to work in the fields. Both the Deputy Head of the Local Executive and the local commander stressed that regular Monitorings help to reduce tension on the LOC. The local commander stated that before Monitorings, the NK side opens fire in the exact place of the where the Monitoring is due to take place. Mines: No mine incidents were reported on the Azerbaijani side. Civil Affairs The Deputy Head of the Local Executive reiterated that firing from the NK side prevents villagers from working in the fields situated close to the LOC. The NK side often cuts off the irrigation canals so that the villagers do not have permanent access to water. He underlined the difficult conditions of the civilians living in villages close to the LOC, especially as spring approaches and people need to start working in the fields. He stated that the four villages of Kapanly, Borsunlu, Chaily and Kasangaya are the worst affected. The Deputy Head of the Local Executive stated that as a result of the increase of sniper fire, local civilians have had to reinforce their homes. He added that the road to Kapanly is under continuous threat from shooting. On 12 March, a tractor was fired upon as it traveled along the road. He stated that although the local population are fully supportive of efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully, people are also ready to take back territory by force if necessary. ¶3. Conclusions The situation in this area appears mostly unchanged since the last Monitoring and tension remains high. The reported number of casualties, including an unusually high number of fatalities is a serious cause for concern. The proximity of the front lines and the apparent increase in the use of snipers contribute to continuous tension on this part of the LOC. The fact that shots were registered immediately prior to the Monitoring, forcing it to be canceled, once again highlights the need for vigilance by the Monitoring Teams. The parties are requested to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of OSCE personnel. Local commanders must guarantee that sufficient safety and security measures are in place to control units in the Monitoring area and neighboring units. Normal life for the civilian population in the area continues to be impeded by the situation especially due to beginning of the spring agricultural works and locals are anxious for an improvement. ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK Personal Representative of the CiO End Text of OSCE Monitoring Report. GODFREY