- Title: Syrian opposition must accept it has not won the war, UN says
- Date: 6th September 2017
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 6, 2017) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA STAFFAN DE MISTURA ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE DE MISTURA ARRIVING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "Will the opposition be able to be unified and realistic enough to realise they did not win the war? There is a need for a political negotiation based on (United Nations Security Council resolution) 2254, perhaps in accelerated way and perhaps also with some adjustments due to the pragmatic environment in which we are living, or not. If that will be missed, the forecast then would be very bad." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "History will judge of course, and I am not the one to write the history of this conflict because the conflict is still ongoing. But at the current moment, I don't think anyone can actually claim to have won the war. The government has perhaps advanced, and in fact certainly advanced, militarily, particularly regarding the territorial recovery. But the victory can only be if there is a sustainable political long-term solution." JOURNALIST HOLDING MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "I am confident and we are pushing for that and we are working also for that, that there will be a non-conflictual solution for the, let's say, not a new Aleppo in Idlib. That's what we want to avoid at any cost if we have learnt from the past. And to do so, I hope and believe that the next meetings in Astana (Kazakhstan) will be helping." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS DE MISTURA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 20th September 2017 13:35
- Keywords: Syria United Nations Idlib opposition civil war
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
- Reuters ID: LVA0016XGLN47
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: United Nations Special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Wednesday (September 6) Syria's opposition must accept that they have not won the six-and-a-half year war against President Bashar al-Assad.
"Will the opposition be able to be unified and realistic enough to realise they did not win the war?" he said at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Asked if he was implying that Assad had won, he said: "At the current moment I don't think anyone can actually claim to have won the war."
He also said he hopes a non-conflictual solution to the current fighting in the Syrian city of Idlib to avoid a new Aleppo.
De Mistura suggested the war was almost over because many countries had gotten involved principally to defeat Islamic State in Syria, and a national ceasefire should follow soon after.
The two main IS forces - in the city of Raqqa and around the city of Deir al-Zor - were facing imminent defeat, which would lead to "the moment of truth", he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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