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A week following Assad’s downfall, the US made contact with rebel forces, where participants demanded all parties to cease hostilities.
Rebel forces ousted Bashar al-Assad’s government in a lightning offensive over a week ago. (AFP)
It has been a week since the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other rebels toppled longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad.
Here are some key latest developments in Syria:
UN Envoy Arrives In Syria
United Nations special envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen called for “justice and accountability” in Syria, rather than acts of “revenge”.
Arriving in Damascus, he also called for “increased, immediate” aid to the war-ravaged country.
French Diplomatic Mission To Arrive In Damascus
A French diplomatic mission will travel to Damascus on Tuesday to reestablish contact after the fall of Assad, acting Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
He told France Inter radio the four-strong team would “retake possession of our real estate” as well as “establishing initial contact” with the new authorities.
A Qatari delegation was due in Syria on Sunday to meet transitional government officials for talks on aid and reopening its embassy.
Unlike other Arab states, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Assad after a rupture in 2011.
Turkey To Provide Military Support
Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said Ankara was ready to provide military support to Syria’s new Islamist-led government if it is requested.
He said the new leadership should be given “a chance” and that Turkey was “ready to provide the necessary support” if needed, in remarks reported by state news agency Anadolu and other Turkish media outlets.
Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 12 years after it closed early in Syria’s civil war.
Ankara has been a major player in Syria’s conflict, financing armed groups in the northwest and maintaining a working relationship with HTS.
US In Touch With HTS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed Saturday that Washington had made contact with Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, despite previously designating the group as “terrorists”.
“We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken told reporters after talks on Syria in Aqaba in Jordan.
He did not elaborate on how the contact took place but when asked if the United States reached out directly, he said: “Direct contact — yes.”
Blinken said that the easing of US sanctions on Syria imposed during Assad’s rule would depend on “sustained action” by the rebel-installed interim government to meet the expectations of the international community.
Main Players Agree On Common Approach
In Aqaba, participants in the talks with Blinken issued a joint statement calling for a Syrian-led transition to “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process”.
It stressed “respect for human rights”, the importance of combating “terrorism and extremism” and demanded that “all parties” cease hostilities in Syria.
‘Syria Too Exhausted For War’
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani criticised Israel for its incursion into southern Syria this week but said his country was too exhausted for fresh conflict.
“The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region,” he said
Israeli troops entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights last weekend in a move the UN said violated the 1974 armistice agreement.
Golani said that despite the violation, “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts.”
Schools And Universities Reopen In Syria
Some children went back to school to school in Damascus on Sunday, attending class for the first time since Assad’s overthrow.
One school employee said that “no more than 30 percent” of pupils were back in class, but “these numbers will rise gradually”.
Universities also reopened, but staff say it may take time to return to normal.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
- Location :
Damascus, Syria
