The Azerbaijan Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia commemorates the 27th anniversary of the killings of 135 Azerbaijanis by the former Soviet Union army, which stormed Baku city on January 20, 1990.
The Soviet Union army consisting 26,000 troops stormedthe capital city of Azerbaijan to crackdown the movement for independence, which was popping up in every corner of thethen biggest communist country.
“The troops were targeting civilians.It is crime against humanity,” said Elman Abdullayev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ethiopia and permanent representative of African Union.
The heavily armed Soviet troops stormed the city and began shooting civilians on the street. The shooting continued for two days killing 147 innocent people and injuring thousands, according Ambassador Abdullayev.
“The troops didn’t allow the Azerbaijani people to reach out to the world about the invasion because the KGB exploded the national TV and radio of Azerbaijan. The people of Azerbaijan will never forget the day in history. It is a brutal act permitted by the leadership of the former Soviet Union,” he said, indicating that the independence movement of Azerbaijan has laid the foundation to a series of movements for independence in other parts of the Soviet Union, which finally led to the disintegration of the Soviet empire.
In commemoration of the day yesterday the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ethiopia has provided donation of appliances to Sebeta School for the Blind, which is located at the outskirt of the capital, Addis Ababa.
The Embassy handed white canes (a mobility tool used by people who are blind or visually impaired) slates and styluses (writing tools for visually impaired persons) to the Principal, staff and students of the school.
Established back in 1956 E.C, the school has seen so many bright and brave blind children change their lives for the better, according to Mr. Abera Mamo, Principal of Sebeta School for the Blind. Now it needs serous help as it is facing more and more challenges time and again, said the principal. “We need numbers of supports from those who can and have the interest to,” he said.
Led by the visionary Heyder Aliyev Azerbaijan declared independence in 1991 departing from the former Society Union. Today Azerbaijan is one of the well doing nations in the region with fully literate population, per capita of over $18,000 and $30 billion investment in the region.