The United Nations (UN) envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said this Sunday (8) that the country’s new political moment, with the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, marks the end of “a dark chapter” and paves the way for “a cautious hope for a new time of peace, reconciliation, dignity and inclusion for all Syrians.”
Pederson assessed the moment as decisive in the history of Syria, which “has endured almost 14 years of relentless suffering and indescribable losses.” He highlighted that the moment “renews the dream of returning home, for families separated by war, renews the hope of reunion and, for those unjustly detained, renews the search for justice”.
Inclusive transition
The UN envoy for the Middle Eastern country also called on all parties involved in the country’s new political moment to avoid bloodshed and begin a transition that includes all communities, with a focus on peace and stability and preventing the country is divided.
According to Pederson, there is a “clear desire”, expressed by millions of Syrians, for stable and inclusive transition arrangements to be implemented and for Syrian institutions to continue to function.
“In this sense, the UN representative appealed to all armed actors to maintain good conduct, law and order, protect civilians and preserve public institutions.”
Challenges
For Pedersen, the fact that the main opposition group, Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), is listed as a terrorist group brings challenges. The important thing now, according to him, is that steps are taken towards a transition towards a “democratic future”.
The special envoy also said that he monitors the movements of armed groups and that some procedures would have to be followed if HTS were to be removed from the terrorism list.
After participating in a high-level meeting in Doha this weekend, including meetings with Iran, Turkey and Russia, Pederson said he reinforced the need to secure transition agreements that include all communities in Syria. According to him, all interlocutors converge on this aspect and expressed support for the role of the United Nations in this process.
Itamaraty
The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement this Saturday afternoon (7), informing that it is following the escalation of violence in Syria and urging Brazilians who live in the country to contact the Brazilian embassy in Damascus, so that they can also leave the country.
In the statement, Itamaraty provided an emergency telephone number and recommended that Brazilians consult the consular portalwith alerts and updates on the situation in the Middle Eastern country.
“In case of emergency, the Embassy’s call number in Damascus is: +963 933 213 438. Itamaraty’s consular service also remains available at +55 61 98260-0610 (including WhatsApp).”
Understand
Syrian rebels declared they had deposed President Bashar al-Assad after taking control of Damascus this Sunday, forcing him to flee and ending decades of a government classified as autocratic by the Assad family after more than 13 years of civil war.
Videos published on the RTP news agency show groups storming the Syrian presidential palace, where Bashar al-Assad resided. The images show the place taken over by rebels holding the country’s flags and partially destroyed. There are also reports of fires at the official residence.
