LEBANON: As a second round of peace talks starts in Geneva, Syrian refugees in Lebanon say all they want is to be able to return home

Record ID: 274494

  • Title: LEBANON: As a second round of peace talks starts in Geneva, Syrian refugees in Lebanon say all they want is to be able to return home
  • Date: 10th February 2014
  • Summary: ALMARJ, BEKAA, LEBANON (FEBRUARY 10, 2014) (REUTERS) REFUGEE CAMP, VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN CAMP BOY STANDING AT TENT ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN REFUGEE MAN SAYING: "We hope fine that they will agree and we will be back to Syria, we hope to go back soon because Syria is destroyed." WOMAN WALKING WITH TWO CHILDREN COMING BACK FROM SCHOOL VARIOUS OF CH
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5RR0J2CE187UAHAOKW73OYPPQ
  • Story Text: A second round of Syria peace talks got off to a shaky start on Monday (February 10) with the international mediator meeting the two sides separately after violations of a local ceasefire and an Islamist offensive set back his efforts.
    Ahead of the talks, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told delegates to commit first to discussing both ending the fighting and setting up a transitional government. The government side said combating "terrorism" - its catchall term for the revolt - should be agreed first.
    The second round was intended to follow quickly after no substantive progress was made last month at the first round of talks in nearly three years of civil war.
    Syrian refugees who have fled the violence in their home country and are now living in the Marj area of east Lebanon said they hoped to soon return to Syria.

    "We hope good will, that they will agree and we will be back to Syria, we hope to go back soon because Syria is destroyed," said one unidentified Syrian man.

    "We hope from God that we will go back to Syria, we want the problems to be solved, we are displaced here," said a Syrian refugee, who preferred not to give her name.
    A letter from Brahimi given to the delegates over the weekend said the new round aimed to tackle the issues of stopping violence, setting up a transitional governing body, and plans for national institutions and reconciliation.
    The opposition says a transitional governing body must exclude President Bashar al-Assad. The government says it will not discuss his leaving power.
    jrc/
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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