Damascus (AsiaNews) - "The international community must support all
initiatives for peace and reconciliation of the Syrian people. The violence
continues and there is no sense wasting time. There is every risk that the conflict
will spread on a regional scale." This is what, Mgr. Mario Zenari, Vatican
nuncio in Damascus tells AsiaNews following recent meetings between members of the UN
Security Council, Arab League and Syrian opposition, held recently in Geneva and Cairo.
Theme of meeting: implementing the peace plan of Kofi Annan and finding an
agreement between the opposition movements.
"The priority - says Msgr. Zenari - is to stop the violence and all
attempts to promote dialogue between the parties", and this despite the
disputes between UN, China
and Russia - which have
emerged during the meeting in Geneva
- and divisions within the Syrian political opposition. According to the
findings of the Cairo
meeting, which ended yesterday, the Syrian National Council and other opposition
parties are struggling to find agreement on a future government of national
unity that contains within it the former regime members. Archbishop Zenari notes
that the Syrian and foreign leaders "are getting lost in the
details", while the Syrian people suffer helplessly in the war between the
Assad regime and the armed rebels of the Free Syrian Army.
For several weeks more than 1000 families of Homs have been locked inside the city while
awaiting help. "Now - he adds - we must safeguard the minimum humanitarian
conventions: an opportunity to heal the wounded and families to be evacuated from
their homes." "In recent weeks - he says - I met with the authorities
in Damascus to
seek a solution to these problems. In Homs
and other areas affected by fighting the Church is trying to mediate at least
to ensure the evacuation of civilians. The government was willing to listen,
but these good intentions must be put into practice on the ground. This also
applies to the rebels. "
Citing the Pope's address to the Meeting of Reunion of Aid to Eastern Churches
(ROACO) of 21 June, the nuncio calls all Christians to "pray for the
Syrian people and a wisdom of hearts, that the Lord may enlighten the Syrian
leaders to end this violence. "