SYRIA: U.N. observers start their day in Syria with ceasefire "incomplete"

Record ID: 280645

  • Title: SYRIA: U.N. observers start their day in Syria with ceasefire "incomplete"
  • Date: 25th April 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (APRIL 24, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GROUP OF UNITED NATIONS STAFF TALKING OUTSIDE HOTEL FLAG OF UNITED NATIONS MORE OF THE MONITORS TALKING TO EACH OTHER GROUP OF THE MONITORS LEAVING RESTAURANT CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEERAJ SINGH, OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE ADVANCED U.N. TEAM IN SYRIA, SAYING: "Going out to the field for visits as usual, estab
  • Embargoed: 10th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA4E8PP599Q1X39BKJ91PA3FTGC
  • Story Text: The U.N. observers' team on Tuesday (April 24) started a new day of visits where they will meet and talk with all parties.
    "Going out to the field for visits as usual, establishing liaisons with the parties, meeting with the people and making the preparation for the larger mission coming in, so we will be in touch," said Neeraj Singh, a spokesman for f the advanced U.N. team in Syria.
    The observers, whose number reached eleven, visited Zabadani, Douma, Harasta and Homs on Monday (April 23).
    The U.N. Security Council agreed on Saturday (April 21) to increase the mission to a 300-strong observer team, part of U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's plan to halt the killing and launch a political dialogue between President Bashar al-Assad and opponents seeking his downfall.
    A small group of unarmed U.N. observers has been operating in Syria for a week, overseeing an 11-day-old truce agreement that has curbed some of the violence but failed to bring a complete halt to 13 months of bloodshed.
    The U.N. political affairs chief said on Monday that the fighting in Syria was continuing despite announcements from the government that it will comply with the truce and that it has withdrawn troops and heavy weapons from population centres.
    Lynn Pascoe told the 15-nation Security Council that measures taken by the Syrian authorities were "clearly insufficient."
    She said the ceasefire remained "incomplete".
    There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities, who say they are committed to international mediator Kofi Annan's April 12 ceasefire agreement, but reserve the right to respond to what they say are continued attacks by "terrorist groups".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register