The Syrian people have seen no compromise and no progress in negotiations between the government and the opposition to reconcile and end the 10-year-long conflict, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said on Monday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th March, 2021) The Syrian people have seen no compromise and no progress in negotiations between the government and the opposition to reconcile and end the 10-year-long conflict, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said on Monday.
"Ordinary Syrians have also seen no compromise between incompatible political visions and no real progress in talks between the government and opposition to reconcile those divisions," Pedersen told the UN Security Council.
The special envoy expressed "profound regret" about the inability of the United Nations to mediate the conflict and the divisiveness of the international community, "trapped" in geopolitical competition and often focused on backing one side in the conflict.
Pedersen said the only silver lining was that the fact that the frontlines have not been shifting for a year. However, he warned that with frequent mutual shelling and rocket firing along contact lines, there is a risk of a "new storm."
"This is why I have always stressed, first and foremost, the importance of consolidating this fragile calm into a true nationwide ceasefire," Pedersen added.
The ongoing conflict in Syria erupted in March 2011, s part of the wave of Arab Spring protests, which spread in a number of Arab nations against their respective governments. Initiated as an uprising demanding reforms, the conflict later grew into massive opposition riots against the government of President Bashar Assad and turned into a full-scale war between the state and opposition armed groups, including the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia).
