SYRIA: U.N. monitors prepare to leave Syria

Record ID: 281357

  • Title: SYRIA: U.N. monitors prepare to leave Syria
  • Date: 19th August 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (AUGUST 19, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF DAMA ROSE HOTEL IN DAMASCUS SYRIAN FLAGS U.N. VEHICLES U.N. LOGO VARIOUS OF U.N. MONITORS IN HOTEL LOBBY VARIOUS OF U.N. MONITORS SITTING AROUND TABLE LUGGAGE VARIOUS OF BOXES BEING UNLOADED FROM U.N. VEHICLE
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8VH7N4U555A5UP1XBLOHYBFEQ
  • Story Text: U.N. observers who were deployed in Syria four months ago to monitor Kofi Annan's failed ceasefire prepared to leave on Sunday (August 19), with their mandate due to expire at midnight.
    The U.N. said the last military observers would be out of Syria by August 24.
    They will leave a "liaison office" open in Damascus after their departure, though its size and role have not been finalised, a U.N. spokeswoman said.
    The mission's initial 300 unarmed observers suspended most of their activity on June 16 because of increased risk from rising violence.
    The head of the departing U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria, General Babacar Gaye, criticised both government forces and rebels for failing to meet obligations to protect civilians from "this violence which is causing such suffering to the innocent people of Syria".
    More than 18,000 people have died in the bloodshed and some 170,000 have fled the country as a result of the fighting, according to the United Nations.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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