Rebels Close In on Capital of Azerbaijan

Rebel forces closed in on the Azerbaijani capital Sunday and sent a delegation into Baku to negotiate with the government.

A Reuters Television crew said that about 300 armed supporters of rebel leader Surat Guseinov have advanced to within eight miles of the capital. They said they planned to enter the city.

While the troops waited on the main highway to Baku, 25 rebels drove into the capital to meet with government leaders.

Since launching his rebellion two weeks ago, Guseinov has seized about half the country and driven President Abulfez Elchibey from the capital, fearing for his life.

Guseinov was demoted by Elchibey earlier this year in a dispute over the five-year war over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, whose ethnic Armenian population has been fighting with Armenian help for independence.

The 34-year-old former colonel has demanded the resignations of Elchibey and the entire government. Elchibey fled the capital Friday but has not officially resigned.

On Sunday, the country’s temporary leader appealed to Elchibey to return to attend an emergency session of Parliament.

Geidar Aliyev, 70, the Communist Party boss when Azerbaijan was a Soviet republic, said he and the government have agreed to call the special session of Parliament to discuss the situation in the Caucasus country.

Aliyev said Sunday that Guseinov has demanded a top post such as prime minister.

“Surat is attempting a coup, and I will try to stop this,” Aliyev said.

A rebel spokesman in Guseinov’s base of Gyandzha denied the charges, saying, “All he wants is to clear Azerbaijan of Armenians.”

The spokesman added, however, that after the crisis, “if the people want him, then they could vote for him in a referendum.”