EGYPT: Arab League Chief Nabil Elaraby says monitors need to be dispatched to Syria without delay

Record ID: 280652

  • Title: EGYPT: Arab League Chief Nabil Elaraby says monitors need to be dispatched to Syria without delay
  • Date: 27th April 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO , EGYPT (APRIL 26, 2012) (REUTERS) ARAB LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS FLAGS OF ARAB LEAGUE MEMBER STATES SAUDI ARABIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL ARRIVING DELEGATES IN MEETING HALL QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER HAMID BIN JASSIM INSIDE MEETING HALL SAUDI ARABIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SEATED IN MEETING HALL SUDANESE FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMED KARTI SEATED IN MEETING HALL SECRETA
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA3Q0V3MABODKWYNIM30SZHV4R6
  • Story Text: The Arab League chief called on Thursday (April 26) for the fast deployment of UN monitors to Syria.
    At a meeting at the League's headquarters in Cairo, Nabil Elaraby told member states that he had been in contact with international mediator Kofi Annan as well as the secretary general of the United Nations on the matter.
    "This morning I spoke to Kofi Annan, and discovered that he is as distressed as I am. We agreed that I should sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and in fact I sent him a letter which I will distribute to you all. In it, I stressed the importance of the swift deployment of monitors, which the Security Council has already decided on, and this should happen without delay. I also proposed that we should make use of the United Nations' forces and monitors which are already in the region, so as there will be no reason for a delay in dispatching the monitors," Elaraby said.
    On Tuesday Annan told the 15-nation Security Council that "we need eyes and ears on the ground, able to move freely and quickly" to watch over a ragged ceasefire. But the head of U.N. peacekeeping said deployment was moving slowly.
    The U.N. under-secretary-general for peacekeeping told the council that deployment of the monitors was moving slowly and that by the end of next month only 100 of the 300 approved monitors would be in place.
    There are now 11 observers in Syria, according to the U.N.
    The reason for the slow deployment was not clear. Despite their sluggish arrival, even a small number of observers can have an enormous impact on the conflict, Annan said.
    U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council last week that observers would be placed in about 10 cities.
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