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| UN suspends Syria peace talks until end of February | UN suspends Syria peace talks until end of February |
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| UN-brokered peace talks with the Syrian government and opposition have been suspended only three days after they began, highlighting the enormous difficulties of finding a political solution to the war and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. | |
| Hours before the opening of a major international donor conference for Syria in London, Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, announced in Geneva on Wednesday that he was suspending the fledgling process until 25 February because there was “more work to be done.” It is unclear whether they will in fact resume. | |
| De Mistura told reporters that “it is not the end and it is not the failure of the talks”. But he linked the move to mounting anger among the opposition that they are being pressured to negotiate while Syrian government and Russian air attacks on rebel areas continue and escalate. Bashar al-Assad’s opponents say that UN resolution 2254, mandating the talks, requires an end to airstrikes and humanitarian relief for suffering civilians. | |
| “Talks would not be meaningful if there is no benefit for the Syrian people,” de Mistura said at an impromptu press conference outside the hotel where opposition negotiators are staying. He had spent the previous two hours talking to their chief, Riyad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister who defected in 2012. De Mistura is thought to have consulted the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon before making his surprise announcement. | “Talks would not be meaningful if there is no benefit for the Syrian people,” de Mistura said at an impromptu press conference outside the hotel where opposition negotiators are staying. He had spent the previous two hours talking to their chief, Riyad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister who defected in 2012. De Mistura is thought to have consulted the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon before making his surprise announcement. |
| “I have concluded frankly that after the first week of preparatory talks there is more work to be done, not only by us but by the stakeholders,” he said. “I have indicated from the first day that I won’t talk for the sake of talking.” | “I have concluded frankly that after the first week of preparatory talks there is more work to be done, not only by us but by the stakeholders,” he said. “I have indicated from the first day that I won’t talk for the sake of talking.” |
| The opposition’s higher negotiations committee sounded more trenchant shortly afterwards when it announced that it would be leaving Geneva on Thursday “and not return until it sees progress on the ground.” | |
| The suspension came after the Syrian army said that its forces had broken through rebel defences to reach two Shia villages in Aleppo province which had been under siege for three years. Rebels said the breakthrough came after hundreds of raids by Russian warplanes. | The suspension came after the Syrian army said that its forces had broken through rebel defences to reach two Shia villages in Aleppo province which had been under siege for three years. Rebels said the breakthrough came after hundreds of raids by Russian warplanes. |
| Aleppo factions, reeling from what they called an “unprecedented” onslaught, issued an ultimatum to the opposition delegation in Geneva late on Tuesday, according to a source close to the talks. Earlier on Wednesday the team was described as being split down the middle over whether to carry on. | Aleppo factions, reeling from what they called an “unprecedented” onslaught, issued an ultimatum to the opposition delegation in Geneva late on Tuesday, according to a source close to the talks. Earlier on Wednesday the team was described as being split down the middle over whether to carry on. |
| The “intra-Syrian” talks, as the UN optimistically calls them, were originally scheduled to have begun on January 25 but only got under way four days later. On Monday de Mistura declared that the process had officially begun but the opposition bridled at that statement and split over whether to carry on. The Syrian government team has met the envoy three times but no progress has been made. | The “intra-Syrian” talks, as the UN optimistically calls them, were originally scheduled to have begun on January 25 but only got under way four days later. On Monday de Mistura declared that the process had officially begun but the opposition bridled at that statement and split over whether to carry on. The Syrian government team has met the envoy three times but no progress has been made. |
| The decision came after opposition negotiators said for a second consecutive day that they would not enter into any discussion until their demands were met. Asked why the talks were going to resume, de Mistura said: “Why? They came and they stayed. Both sides insisted on the fact that they are interested in having a political process started.” | The decision came after opposition negotiators said for a second consecutive day that they would not enter into any discussion until their demands were met. Asked why the talks were going to resume, de Mistura said: “Why? They came and they stayed. Both sides insisted on the fact that they are interested in having a political process started.” |
| Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to the UN and the head of its negotiating team, told Reuters: “It seems the first phase of preparations [for talks] will take a much longer time than expected. The official discussions did not take off yet unfortunately. We are still discussing how to proceed.” | Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to the UN and the head of its negotiating team, told Reuters: “It seems the first phase of preparations [for talks] will take a much longer time than expected. The official discussions did not take off yet unfortunately. We are still discussing how to proceed.” |
| Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said his country had no intention of ending its campaign, which it claims is targeting Isis, but in fact has consistently struck at mainstream rebel groups – backed by the west and Arab countries – that are fighting Assad. “Russian strikes will not cease until we really defeat terrorist organizations like [the al-Qaida-linked] Jabhat al-Nusra. And I don’t see why these air strikes should be stopped,” he said at a news conference in Muscat, capital of Oman. | Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said his country had no intention of ending its campaign, which it claims is targeting Isis, but in fact has consistently struck at mainstream rebel groups – backed by the west and Arab countries – that are fighting Assad. “Russian strikes will not cease until we really defeat terrorist organizations like [the al-Qaida-linked] Jabhat al-Nusra. And I don’t see why these air strikes should be stopped,” he said at a news conference in Muscat, capital of Oman. |
| Ban called for “a strong show of solidarity” at the London conference. “We have at least 400,000 people stranded in besieged villages,” he said, adding that only a tiny percentage were receiving aid. “It is very difficult for us, very dangerous.” | Ban called for “a strong show of solidarity” at the London conference. “We have at least 400,000 people stranded in besieged villages,” he said, adding that only a tiny percentage were receiving aid. “It is very difficult for us, very dangerous.” |