Opposition, militants rebuff UN Aleppo truce plan
The foreign-sponsored opposition figures and militant forces in Syria have rejected a proposal by the UN special envoy for Syria, which seeks to suspend fighting in the Arab country’s embattled northern city of Aleppo.
"We refuse to meet with Mr. Staffan de Mistura (the UN envoy) if it is not on the basis of a comprehensive solution to Syria's drama through the exit of (President) Bashar al-Assad and his chief of staff," Aleppo's opposition council said in a statement on Sunday.
De Mistura arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday, hoping "to set in motion as soon as possible his project” to halt the skirmishes in Aleppo, located 355 kilometers (220 miles) north of the Syrian capital, for six weeks.
The 68-year-old diplomat has been pushing for a local ceasefire in Aleppo as the foundation for the building of a broader peace settlement for Syria.
The UN envoy has met Syrian government officials and opposition figures during the recent weeks to discuss his plans with them.
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.
MP/HJL/SS
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