The Syrian Coalition’s Department of External Relations meet with a delegation from the British Foreign Office in Istanbul on Tuesday and discussed with them the latest political and on the ground developments in Syria, especially the atrocities taking place in the ‘de-escalation zone’ in northwestern Syria.
Vice-president of the Syrian Coalition, Dima Moussa, said that the onslaught the Assad regime and Russia have unleashed against Idlib province since April has resulted in yet new war crimes about which the international community should not remain silent. She called on the United Kingdom to work on bringing an end to this onslaught and shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities with regards to the protection of civilians.
Moussa pointed out that the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating because of the Assad regime and Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilians, public facilities and medical centers. She pointed out that these crimes amounted to international crimes as they are primarily aimed at perpetuating the killings and undermining efforts to resume the political process.
Moussa called for the resumption of support for the humanitarian sector in Idlib province, especially in the area of healthcare. She noted that the Assad regime and Russia’s targeting of public facilities and medical centers is aimed at killing any semblance of life and forcing civilians to surrender and flee their homes.
“This option is no longer available as this region is the last resort for Syrian civilians who were displaced from other parts of Syria, especially the areas that saw forced settlement agreenents under which millions of Syrian civilians were displaced to Syria’s northwest for fear of detention, torture and enforced disappearance,” Moussa said.
Both sides also discussed the Syrian Interim Government’s (SIG) plan of action. Moussa said that SIG’s priority on the short term is to provide security, stability and basic services to civilians so as to serve as a model for the Coalition’s executive arm and expand its work to include other areas once the appropriate conditions are met. She stressed that the Coalition is in need for support to enable SIG to operate across all the liberated areas and to provide better services for the civilian population in those areas.
Moussa pointed out that SIG’s Head-designate Abdurrahman Mustafa continues to hold consultations with various civil and local bodies and organizations with the aim of outlining SIG’s vision and plan of action for the next phase. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
