The Syrian Coalition Representative to the Benelux and EU, Mouaffaq Nyrabia, urged world leaders to put civilian protection at the core of any strategy to defeat ISIS and bring about a political settlement in Syria.
In a letter to addressed to ambassadors to the EU Political and Security Committee on December 10, Nyrabia set out the need “to stop the primary driver of instability in Syria: the indiscriminate killing of civilians by the Assad and Russian air forces.”
Nyrabia underlined the need for a comprehensive approach that includes the protection of civilians, which will support the international effort in defeating ISIS. “This approach will help remove a core radicalizing factor, increase the ability to attract moderate forces to fight against ISIS, give respite to moderate voices in rebel-held areas and allow them to concentrate their efforts against ISIS; and make the Vienna political track viable by pressuring Assad and Russia into serious negotiation.”
Nyrabia thanked the European Union for standing in solidarity with the Syrian people since the start of the revolution. “We are also grateful to all EU Member States for their commitment to alleviate the suffering of all Syrians. In this regard, the Syrian Coalition welcomes the decision adopted by the European Commission on 1 December to provide a further €350 million aid package to Syria’s neighboring countries to support the millions of Syrian refugees,” Nyrabia said.
Nyrabia further added that “the recent appalling acts of terror in Paris, Beirut and California illustrate the threat to global security that goes beyond the borders of the conflict in Syria. These attacks, as well as those in Ankara, and across Syria demonstrate the urgency now more than ever to address the root causes of extremism and protect civilians in Syria.”
“And Russia’s intervention has only exacerbated the killing of civilians. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, 97% of the people killed by Russian airstrikes in November were civilians,” Nyrabia said. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
