International envoy Kofi Annan welcomed Sunday the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution to authorize a UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)
International envoy Kofi Annan welcomed Sunday the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution to authorize a UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), and urged all parities in the country to work with UN monitors to consolidate the fragile ceasefire.
"This is now a pivotal moment for the stabilization of (Syria)," Annan, UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy for Syria, said in a statement issued in Geneva.
Annan said that the work of the UNSMIS should help create conditions conducive to the launching of the much-needed political process, which would address the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Syrian people.
"I call on the Government and the opposition and all the people of Syria to prepare to engage in such a process as a matter of utmost priority," he said.
UN Resolution
The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously decided to approve the deployment to Syria of up to 300 unarmed UN military observers in order to monitor a fragile ceasefire between the Syrian government forces and armed opposition fighters.
The resolution called on the Syrian government to support the observers’ mission by helping deploy its members and provide transport for them without hindrances, calling upon the UN and Syria to reach an agreement on providing the planes needed by the mission.
The resolution also called on all sides in Syria to guarantee the safety of the mission members, stressing that the primary responsibility regarding the observers' safety falls upon the government.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that the Russian resolution stipulates that the deployment of the observer mission will be evaluated by the UN Secretary General based on relevant developments on the ground, including the cessation of violence.
Bashar Al-Jaafari
In a speech during the Council session, Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari appealed to the UN Secretary General to exert good offices and be more involved in the efforts to guarantee applying the desired political and national solution to resolve the crisis.
Al-Jaafari said that the Syrian government was open to any honest and neutral initiatives and efforts since the beginning of the crisis to help emerge from it while preserving Syria's sovereignty, independent national decision, security and stability, with Syria showing great cooperation and commitment to Annan's efforts.
He stressed that sending neutral observers was originally a Syrian demand based on self-confidence and a position of strength, and that the reason behind such a demand is to inform the world public opinion of the terrorists' crimes away from media and political misdirection, noting that this happened with the Arab League observers who presented an objective report documenting the crimes of terrorists, which prompted Qatar and Saudi Arabia to withdraw their observers, suspend the entire mission, and ignore their report completely.
Al-Jaafari went on to note that terrorists answered the Syrian government's commitment to Annan's plan with a long series of violations, amongst them the intensifying of terrorism and attacks against civilians, law-enforcement forces and public and private facilities.
“The Syrian government provided Annan, Ki-moon and the Security Council with detailed information on the violations made by armed groups after the beginning of the ceasefire on April 12th,” he said, adding that the violations number over 593 as of Saturday.
Syria's Representative pointed out that the absolute truth among Syrians is their rejection of interference in their country's internal affairs, commitment to protecting their country's sovereignty, continuing with reform and national dialogue, and not allowing time to be turned back to any form of subjugation or custodianship or occupation, be it direct or indirect.
"The Syrians know full well that the forces having bad intents towards Syria are targeting them all and trading with their pain and legitimate ambitions in the bloody stock market controlled by the interests of Israel and its governments and allies," he said.
Al-Jaafari concluded by addressing a statement made by Germany's Representative who voiced his country's commitments to protecting "minorities" in Syria, stressing that there are no minorities in Syria; rather only Syrians who are proud of their cultural and religious diversity and don't want Wahabi and Salafi extremism to sneak among them through oil money and religious and sectarian incitement which is preached by some Qatari and Saudi channels.
