Peace deal for Syria appears to fail
Source: Agencies |
April 9, 2012, Monday
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A PEACE deal for Syria appeared to collapse yesterday as the government made a new demand that opponents provide "written guarantees" to lay down their weapons before government forces withdraw from cities, a call swiftly rejected by the country's main rebel group.
The deal, brokered by United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, was due to take effect tomorrow, paving the way for negotiations to end the country's year-old crisis, which the UN estimates has killed 9,000 people.
Annan said last week that Syrian President Bashar Assad had accepted the plan and its call for government forces to pull back from urban centers. But yesterday Syria's Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdessi placed a new condition that the opposition agree in writing "to halt violence with all its forms and their readiness to lay down weapons."
The commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Riad al-Asaad, said his group was prepared to abide by the Annan agreement, but rejected the government's new unilateral demand.
The FSA does not recognize the government "and for that reason we will not give guarantees," he said. He said government forces should return to their bases and remove checkpoints from the streets.
Annan's six-point peace plan calls for government forces to withdraw from population centers by tomorrow, to be followed by a full cease-fire by both sides by 6am on Thursday.
However, with the deadline looming, Syrian forces have stepped up attacks on restive towns in recent days, and activists say scores of civilians have been killed daily.
Annan condemned the government offensive yesterday, saying in a statement that "the present escalation of violence is unacceptable."
The cease-fire was meant to pave the way for negotiations between the government and the opposition to end the country's year-old crisis. Street protests against Assad erupted 13 months ago, inspired by the Arab Spring's pro-democracy uprisings in the region, but the revolt has turned violent in the face of a brutal regime crackdown.
Makdessi said Syria will not allow a repeat of what had happened in January, when Assad pulled back his forces from cities and their surroundings, only to see rebels flood the areas vacated by government troops.
"Armed terrorist groups used this to rearm its elements and spread its authority on entire districts," Makdessi said. He also alleged that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are arming and funding the opposition and demanded guarantees this be halted.
The deal, brokered by United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, was due to take effect tomorrow, paving the way for negotiations to end the country's year-old crisis, which the UN estimates has killed 9,000 people.
Annan said last week that Syrian President Bashar Assad had accepted the plan and its call for government forces to pull back from urban centers. But yesterday Syria's Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdessi placed a new condition that the opposition agree in writing "to halt violence with all its forms and their readiness to lay down weapons."
The commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Riad al-Asaad, said his group was prepared to abide by the Annan agreement, but rejected the government's new unilateral demand.
The FSA does not recognize the government "and for that reason we will not give guarantees," he said. He said government forces should return to their bases and remove checkpoints from the streets.
Annan's six-point peace plan calls for government forces to withdraw from population centers by tomorrow, to be followed by a full cease-fire by both sides by 6am on Thursday.
However, with the deadline looming, Syrian forces have stepped up attacks on restive towns in recent days, and activists say scores of civilians have been killed daily.
Annan condemned the government offensive yesterday, saying in a statement that "the present escalation of violence is unacceptable."
The cease-fire was meant to pave the way for negotiations between the government and the opposition to end the country's year-old crisis. Street protests against Assad erupted 13 months ago, inspired by the Arab Spring's pro-democracy uprisings in the region, but the revolt has turned violent in the face of a brutal regime crackdown.
Makdessi said Syria will not allow a repeat of what had happened in January, when Assad pulled back his forces from cities and their surroundings, only to see rebels flood the areas vacated by government troops.
"Armed terrorist groups used this to rearm its elements and spread its authority on entire districts," Makdessi said. He also alleged that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are arming and funding the opposition and demanded guarantees this be halted.
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