No alibis: Armenia must take responsibility for Aleppo Armenians

According to Armenia’s Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, in response to CivilNet's inquiry, up to 12,000 Armenians currently reside in Aleppo.

Meanwhile, regarding the whereabouts of Armenia's consul in Aleppo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "The Consul General of Armenia in Aleppo, after traveling to Damascus on November 26 to receive exequatur from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been unable to return to Aleppo and continues working from Damascus." 

On November 27, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham armed group launched a surprise attack on the positions of the Syrian army and allied forces in the Aleppo region. Islamist groups now control most of the city of Aleppo.

Armenia's Consul General in Aleppo, Ara Avetisyan, has held the position since September 14. In a notable coincidence, the Foreign Ministry's response revealed that the consul departed for Damascus just a day before the attack on Aleppo.  

Armenian humanitarian mission specialists have also been evacuated from Aleppo. Later, the entire humanitarian mission returned to Armenia via a special aircraft sent by Armenia. In 2019, with Russian support and encouragement, Armenia deployed more than 80 sappers, military doctors, and servicemen to the Aleppo region. This move by Yerevan drew criticism from the United States.

As it turns out, Aleppo Armenians once again are left to rely on their community structures and leaders.

The Armenian government frequently emphasizes the importance of statehood. Yet, when it comes to taking responsibility for compatriots — even if they are not citizens — the state is conspicuously absent, offering various excuses.

It is obscure whether the consul indeed traveled to Damascus to receive his credentials, left the city under instructions from Yerevan, or made the decision independently. However, moments like these demand that the state demonstrate its commitment to its compatriots. In Aleppo, the consul represents the Armenian state, which should have taken on the mission of coordinating and ensuring the safety of Armenians in this critical moment.

One can always find countless justifications for failing to act—we know this too well from Artsakh's example.

But now is the time for Yerevan to take responsibility for the safety of Aleppo's Armenians and, if necessary, facilitate their evacuation to Armenia. Yerevan must not defer to local, narrow interests and preferences that prioritize maintaining the community at any cost. Armenia's consul's absence from Aleppo raises serious questions. The excuses provided are both incomprehensible and unacceptable.