04/19/2012, 00.00
SYRIA - UN
Send to a friend

Ban Ki-moon: 300 UN observers for Syria. The violence continues

Observers will work for three months. UN secretary says there are "possibilities of progress" because there is less violence. But attacks and clashes with the army continue in Deir Ezzor, Homs, Idlib, Aleppo.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Security Council to authorize a mission of 300 observers to verify the cease-fire. Meanwhile there are reports of clashes and killings at Deir Ezzor, Homs, Aleppo and Idlib.

In a letter to the Security Council, Ban Ki-moon calls for the deployment of 300 observers to monitor the situation for at least three months. In recent days, the first six observers arrived, reporting many violations of the cease-fire accepted by the government and opposition.

Ban said in the letter that "there are possibilities of progress" for the truce launched by April 12, but it is also clear that the cessation of hostilities "is incomplete". In any case, he points out that since the day the truce was enacted, the level of violence has decreased, as well as the number of victims.

Ban speaks of a violence "armed in all forms" - meaning even that of the rebels, but explicitly including Syria, which "has not yet observed all its obligations." He reaffirms that Damascus must pledge to withdraw its troops and their heavy weapons from the rebel cities and facilitate the mission of observers leaving them full freedom of movement and communication.

Yesterday, according to some witnesses, Syria prevented the first UN observers from going to Homs, the city that has suffered army bombardments for over a month. The Government justified the decision claiming it was for safety reasons.

Meanwhile news arrives from Deir Ezzor that the army has launched another attack today in which a civilian has died. Yesterday, according to the Observatory of Human Rights in Syria, close to the opposition, there were 30 other deaths.

Some NGOs claim that 16 civilians were killed in the province of Homs and six others in the Idlib. In the same area seven army soldiers were killed, two in Aleppo and an officer in Douma, near Damascus.

According to AsiaNews sources in Syria, said that "the Annan peace plan has already failed ... neither side wants to stop the violence. The war will last a long time" (see: 17/04/2012 As rebels and regime violate the ceasefire, Kofi Annan's plan collapses).

 

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Ban Ki-moon criticizes Assad for the terrible suffering of the Syrian people
08/01/2013
UN Council for Human Rights condemns Syria
02/06/2012
Moscow wants Damascus to implement Kofi Annan plan. Opposition and U.S. skeptical
10/04/2012
Yangon, Card. Bo to military junta: dialogue with opposition needed
05/12/2022 12:43
Damascus denies entry to UN inspection team
09/04/2013


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”