SYRIA: Gunfire is heard in Idlib, in spite of a U.N. brokered truce that has been in place for almost a month

Record ID: 280786

  • Title: SYRIA: Gunfire is heard in Idlib, in spite of a U.N. brokered truce that has been in place for almost a month
  • Date: 9th May 2012
  • Summary: IDLIB, SYRIA (MAY 8, 2012) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS NIGHT SHOTS OF IDLIB WITH AUDIO OF GUNFIRE
  • Embargoed: 24th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA8S7CCTYR2V9NTDDDWG3ET6092
  • Story Text: Gunfire echoed through Idlib in Syria on Tuesday (May 8) evening, despite a United Nations brokered truce that has been in place for almost a month.
    It was not immediately clear whether the gunfire was coming from government troops or anti-regime rebels.
    As more United Nations peace plan monitors arrived in the Syrian cities of Homs and Hama earlier on Tuesday, U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan told the Security Council that peace in Syria remained elusive despite the nationwide ceasefire.
    Speaking to reporters in Geneva after briefing the 15-nation council via videolink, Annan said there were "worrying episodes of violence by the government" in Syria as well as attacks by the opposition in violation of the truce. He also referred to a recent "spate of bombings, which have been really worrying", urging Damascus and the rebels to revive the truce that briefly took hold across the country on April 12.
    The comments from Annan, along with similar remarks from U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, were likely to increase doubts about Damascus' commitment to Annan's peace plan, which is aimed at ending a 14-month assault on opposition protesters calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    They were also likely to fuel fears among Western powers that Annan's plan has little chance of success.
    Annan's six-point peace plan called for an end to all fighting by the government and rebels, humanitarian access, the deployment of observers to monitor the truce, and dialogue between the government and opposition aimed at starting a "political transition" for the country.
    Annan said the world cannot allow Syria to descend into full-scale civil war, warning that the consequences of the peace plan he brokered failing could be devastating.
    A U.N.-backed ceasefire was announced for April 12 as part of Annan's peace plan, along with the deployment of an unarmed U.N. observer force of up to 300 monitors. While there was an initial reduction in violence and U.N. observers have been gradually deploying, a full ceasefire has yet to take hold.
    Annan also complained that there has been insufficient progress regarding humanitarian aid access to the 1 million Syrians in need of assistance.
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