Ministry of Defense Does Not Grant Permission for Engineering Works by OMA; Organization Provides Details

The Armenian Armed Forces are adequately conducting fortification and engineering works at border and rear protection sites without needing material or financial support. The financial resources allocated from the state budget to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) are fully sufficient for organizing these activities properly, according to a written response from the MoD to Tert.am.

This specifically refers to the wooden-earth defensive points built by the OMA organization in the border zone under the Gumbet 2 project. If there is no permission, how were these constructs built, how were they designed, and why was fundraising organized?

For more details, Auroranews contacted OMA (Organization for the Preservation of Life). The organization stated, "The Ministry of Defense has not granted permission and does not have the right to do so. We construct the gumbets (domes) in areas that belong to someone, on a farmer’s land, on an individual’s territory. We are building in the 2nd and 3rd defensive lines without their control. Regarding fundraising, the ministry does not have the authority to prohibit us from organizing it, as NGOs are funded only through fundraising efforts, and it is ignorance for the ministry to claim that the fundraising was not coordinated with them."

When asked about the purpose of constructing these gumbets, they responded, "We are doing this to strengthen the country, so that the enemy does not come and say, 'This is our land, this is my home,' and we are acting because we see the kind of hostility that has started against OMA."

When asked for the locations of the constructed gumbets, they replied, "In areas that are under enemy targeting, in the 2nd and 3rd defensive lines after the front line. More than 200 gumbets have been built. Military experts from OMA assess and determine where the gumbets should be constructed."

Regarding their awareness of Azerbaijan labeling OMA as a terrorist organization, they affirmed that they are indeed aware and that there is even a court case against them. "We advise international media and experts to come and investigate. It sounds ridiculous that a child-killer refers to us as terrorists," they said.

Auroranews also contacted the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. The ministry stated that the MoD or the General Staff of the Armed Forces have not granted the mentioned organization permission for engineering works and have not performed or are performing any engineering works in the second line of defense and in areas of responsibility of the Armenian Armed Forces. The military department further clarified that in general, no fundraising is coordinated with the MoD. If any work is being done, it is outside the responsibility zone of the Armenian Armed Forces.