SYRIA: U.N. monitors visit the Khalidiya neighbourhood of Homs where a delegation including the head of the monitoring mission, Major General Robert Mood, meets with members of the Syrian Free Army

Record ID: 276372

  • Title: SYRIA: U.N. monitors visit the Khalidiya neighbourhood of Homs where a delegation including the head of the monitoring mission, Major General Robert Mood, meets with members of the Syrian Free Army
  • Date: 4th May 2012
  • Summary: KHALIDIYA NEIGHBOURHOOD OF HOMS, SYRIA (MAY 3, 2012) (REUTERS) U.N. CONVOY DRIVING OFF FROM SAFIR HOMS HOTEL TRAVELLING SHOT OF CONVOY DRIVING THROUGH HOMS VARIOUS TRAVELLING SHOTS OF CONVOY DRIVING THROUGH DESERTED AND HEAVILY DAMAGED KHALIDIYA NEIGHBOURHOOD HEAD OF MONITORING MISSION, MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, WALKING TO MEET WITH MEMBERS OF SYRIAN FREE ARMY VARIOU
  • Embargoed: 19th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7PD4F48BCHC1WR8CDX3N2ZP0C
  • Story Text: U.N. observers in Syria travelled to the Khalidiya district of Homs on Thursday (May 3).
    Homs was a stronghold of the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the district was heavily bombarded by Syrian government forces.
    The head of the monitoring mission, Major General Robert Mood from Norway, held talks with members of the Syrian Free Army in Khalidiya.
    After the meeting, Mood said one of the mission's tasks was to hear and see and then report. That's why it has to be in touch with all parties to the Syrian crisis.
    "The UNSMIS mandate has two very distinct tasks or elements. First, to monitor the cessation of violence which is obviously as we speak the most important one, the most urgent one. And second, to monitor and support the full implementation of the six-point plan of Kofi Annan. Let me also say that the unarmed observers on the ground, they are travelling, they are hearing, the are seeing. Based on that, they report."
    Mood also repeated the importance of dialogue and cessatin of violence by all parties.
    "If we work together, all aspects of the Syrian people, the Syrian government, the Syrian opposition, the politicians in the capitals, the joint special envoy, the U.N. Security Council - that concerted effort will make it possible to present the choice. The choice being going down the road of more violence, more suffering for women and children. Or going down the road of a peaceful transition serving the aspirations of the Syrian people."
    Mood also said the observer mission was growing as a steady pace, with a total of 50 monitors in the country. Six monitors are permanently based at the Safir hotel in Homs.
    Around 300 monitors will be deployed by the end of May.
    Despite the small number of observers and continued violence in Syria, Mood said the team of U.N. observers in the country was having a calming effect.
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