UN special envoy in Syria to seek Aleppo truce
UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has arrived in Damascus at the head of a delegation for talks with the Arab country’s officials to try to strike a truce in the northwestern city of Aleppo.
De Mistura, who arrived in Damascus on Saturday, "hopes to set in motion as soon as possible his project" to halt fighting in Aleppo for six weeks, said a member of his delegation on condition of anonymity.
To promote his plan for a temporary ceasefire in Aleppo to help aid delivery into the city, the UN envoy has met Syrian government officials and opposition figures during the recent weeks.
Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and once a commercial hub, has been split between a government-held western part and a militant-held eastern portion since mid-2012.
On February 17, the UN envoy said the government had shown a willingness to suspend its military activities in Aleppo for six weeks to allow a humanitarian ceasefire.
“The government of Syria has indicated to me its willingness to halt all aerial bombing and artillery shelling for a period of six weeks all over the city of Aleppo from a date we’ll announce from Damascus,” de Mistura told journalists after a closed-door UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting.
Last October, the UN envoy proposed an action plan for areas where Syrian forces are fighting Takfiri terrorists, and said the proposal includes “freeze zones” in war-torn Syria to permit deliveries of humanitarian aid, starting with Aleppo.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 210,000 people, according to reports.
AR/HMV/SS
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