The Syrian opposition’s chief negotiator in the Geneva negotiations Mohammad Alloush on Sunday said he was resigning over the failure of the UN-backed Geneva peace talks to bring about a political settlement and ease the plight of the Syrian people living in besieged rebel-held areas.
Alloush said that peace talks had also failed to secure the release of thousands of detainees in Assad’s prisons or push Syria towards a political transition without Bashar al Assad. He condemned the international community’s “inability to enforce resolutions, in particular regarding humanitarian issues, such as the lifting of sieges, access to aid, the release of prisoners and adherence to the ceasefire.”
Alloush pointed out that “the three rounds of talks were unsuccessful because of the stubbornness of the regime and its continued bombardment and aggression towards the Syrian people.”
Alloush also said that without any of the opposition demands met, peace talks had been a “waste of time”, adding that he did not expect peace talks to resume so long as the Assad regime remained intransigent and not ready to enter “serious negotiations.”
He called on all rebel and FSA groups as well as political forces to unite and close ranks “as the only way to achieve victory,” hoping that the HNC will “adhere to the fundamental principles of the revolution.”
“The United Nations did not agree an agenda for negotiations which are supposed to lead to political transition through the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers,” Alloush added.
The opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) in April suspended its formal participation in peace talks in protest against the Assad’s army offensives in rebel-held areas and at the Assad regime’s refusal to abide by international resolutions, especially regarding the improvement of the humanitarian conditions in line with UN Security Council resolutions 2268 and 2254.
The HNC stressed that its return to negotiations in Geneva is contingent on stopping bombing of civilians, the establishing of mechanisms to hold violators of the truce to account, lifting the blockades on besieged areas, the delivery of aid to besieged areas, and the release of detainees. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)
