U.N. Peace Envoy Discusses Cease-fire Proposal with Syrian Opposition in Turkey
Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Envoy to Syria, met with the Syrian opposition in Turkey on Monday to discuss his cease-fire proposal for the northern city of Aleppo, Reuters reports.
According to a spokeswoman, De Mistura met with representatives from the main armed and non-armed groups. Among the groups he met were rebels represented by Qais Sheikh, head of the Revolutionary Command Council, a coalition of moderate and Islamist opposition groups, and Hadi al-Bahra, head of the Western-backed National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition forces.
Opposition groups have expressed skepticism about the truce proposal, citing the example of Homs where a truce was introduced but government forces have largely regained control, and any proposal that doesn’t guarantee the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
“We asked him for a guarantee that Assad won’t just direct his force elsewhere so it turns out we are just giving him a rest in Aleppo,” said Badr Jamous, senior member of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition forces.
The U.N. envoy first unveiled his plan for a cease-fire in Aleppo in October, hoping it would quell fighting and provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to civilians in the war-torn city that has been divided between rebel and government troops since 2012.
The Syrian government has said it would study the proposal.
Syria’s Allies Condemn Israeli Airstrikes; Consider Political Solution to End Syrian Conflict
Syrian, Russian and Iranian officials have fiercely condemned two Israeli airstrikes that targeted Damascus, including the international airport, AP reports.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif described the strikes as acts “of aggression that prove Israel is “in the same trench with extremist groups fighting the Syrian government” while Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said they “deserve an outright condemnation.” Syria called for sanctions against Israel.
Following a meeting this week in Tehran, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said that Iran, along with Russia, is working on a political solution for the Syrian conflict “based on dialogue between Syrians and without any outside intervention.”
Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov confirmed his country is trying to arrange a meeting “between Syria’s warring sides without preconditions,” following a visit to Lebanon and Turkey. On that trip he met with Hadi Bahra, head of the U.S.-backed Syrian National Coalition.
According to AFP, “a delegation of Syrian dissidents tolerated by Assad’s regime will travel to Moscow this week for meetings.”
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