SYRIA: The spokesman of the first UN monitoring team says more monitors are arriving in the country

Record ID: 280658

  • Title: SYRIA: The spokesman of the first UN monitoring team says more monitors are arriving in the country
  • Date: 27th April 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (APRIL 26, 2012) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) UNITED NATIONS (UN) MONITORS CAR ARRIVING CAMERAMAN VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS GETTING OUT OF CAR VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF OBSERVERS TEAM MONITORS ENTERING HOTEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESMAN OF FIRST U.N. MONITORING TEAM IN SYRIA, NEERAJ SINGH, SAYING: "At the end of Deraa visit, it has been decided to deploy two U.
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8HWJ8LCI6TN04SRVQJRB16L1I
  • Story Text: Two U.N. military observers have been deployed in Deraa starting Thursday (April 26), the spokesman of the first UN monitoring team in Syria said.
    "At the end of Deraa visit, it has been decided to deploy two U.N. military observers in Deraa. Those two military observers are now already there in Deraa. They are going to stay there and they are carrying out their operations now in Deraa," said Neeraj Singh told reporters in Damascus.
    "We are expecting new military observers to arrive today, tonight. They might have arrived by now," he added.
    The U.N. team visited Douma, Sweida and Deraa earlier in the day.
    There are currently less than 20 monitors in Syria visiting areas torn by a 13-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian government has responded to protests with gunfire and shelled central districts of opposition strongholds, saying it is fighting an "armed terrorist" revolt.
    The Security Council has authorised 300 observers in total.
    Travelling in small teams, the monitors have been filmed by amateur cameramen in the country, in their blue U.N. helmets and bullet-proof vests, meeting rebels and residents of shelled neighbourhoods around the country.
    Syria's population is estimated at about 23 million, spread across mountains, deserts and farmland over 180,000 sq. km., raising doubts even the full 300-monitor force would be able to oversee a ceasefire that both sides appear to disregard.
    The U.N. said security forces have killed at least 9,000 people in the conflict while Damascus has said 2,600 of its security personnel have died at the hands of insurgents.
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