Joint Statement by the Armed Revolutionary Groups and the Syrian National Coalition

Joint Statement
September 25, 2016

The Assad regime, with the direct backing of its Russian ally and the Iranian militias, has escalated its criminal, barbaric onslaught against our people in Aleppo, employing a scorched-earth policy that is aimed at destroying the city and displacing its residents. This unprecedented escalation came after the Assad regime has unilaterally announced that the ceasefire agreement was over and refused to abide by the provisions of the agreement.

Hundreds of innocent civilians have so far been killed in the Assad regime’s ongoing onslaught on the besieged parts of Aleppo. Internationally banned weapons, including napalm and chemical agents, have been used against civilians amid failure of the international community to take clear and concrete action in order to stop these war crimes and to force the regime abide by the UN Security Council resolutions 2042, 2118, 2165, 2209, 2235, and 2254.

We, the undersigned, out of our moral, national obligations towards our people and the revolution, affirm the following:

1. The negotiations process, on its current basis, is meaningless in light of the ongoing bombardment, killing, and destruction which must be stopped fully and immediately in line with international resolutions.
2. Russia can no longer be a sponsor of the negotiations process because it is a partner to the regime’s crimes against our people.
3. Any possible UN-sponsored ceasefire or cessation of hostilities agreement must ensure and end to all bombardments, killings, and forced displacements. It is imperative that it also ensures the lifting of the sieges and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid under the United Nations supervision. All so-called agreements that the regime extorted from residents of the besieged areas under its “kneel or starve” policy to forcibly displace them must be annulled and reversed.
4. All relevant UN Security Council resolutions must be implemented immediately and fully, especially those related to humanitarian issues which must not be subject to negotiations.
5. The Assad regime must be held accountable for using chemical weapons against civilians in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2118 as the regime’s use of chemical weapons has now been confirmed by the UN-OPCW investigative panel tasked with investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
6. We call on representatives of the Syrian Coalition and armed revolutionary groups in the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) to hold consultations and consider the available options.
7. We call upon the UN Security Council to establish an official investigative panel to investigate the targeting of an aid convoy by Russian and Assad regime warplanes. We stress that those responsible must be referred to the International Criminal Court and be charged with war crimes.

Finally, we call upon the United Nations, the UN Security Council, and countries of the Friends of Syria Group to assume their responsibilities and put an immediate end to the war crimes perpetrated against the Syrian people and to take urgent, concrete action to ensure civilian are protected in Syria.

The Free Syrian Army Groups: