Annan urges an end to Syria violence

UN-ARAB LEAGUE envoy Kofi Annan yesterday called for an end to the violence in Syria and warned the UN Security Council “any miscalculations” in the handling of the crisis could destabilise a region already in turmoil.

Mr Annan urged the council to support his efforts to broker a ceasefire and dialogue in Syria. “The stronger and more unified your message, the better chance we have of shifting the dynamics of the conflict,” he stated.

The Syrian government has promised to co-operate, but not to end its campaign against “terrorism”. Protesters appeared to reject Mr Annan’s demand for a ceasefire when, after a call from the Muslim Brotherhood, they staged rallies in Syria to demand “immediate military intervention by the Arabs and Muslims followed by the rest of the world”. In three towns north of Damascus, troops clashed with rebels for the first time in several weeks. Opposition activists reported 40 deaths.

Mr Annan will dispatch a team to discuss the deployment of ceasefire monitors and implementation of other elements of proposals he presented last weekend.

Divisions in the council have not been bridged. While French foreign minister Alain Juppé demanded the Syrian government unilaterally halt military operations, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov said Moscow has urged the Syrian government to co-operate with Mr Annan, and asked the West to tell the opposition and the rebels to “respond constructively to his proposals”.

Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdonov said calls on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to stand down were “counterproductive, because they send the opposition a false signal that there’s no point in entering dialogue”.

Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have joined Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in announcing the closure of their embassies in Damascus. EU foreign ministers are to meet next week to discuss shutting their embassies. Turkey has also threatened to close its mission.

Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was considering setting up a zone to host refugees on the Syrian side of the border if there was international agreement and involvement.

The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the 12-month death toll in the conflict is 9,113: 6,645 civilians, 1,997 security personnel and 471 rebels.

UN experts are due to join a government team this weekend in visits to contested areas. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said: “It is increasingly vital that humanitarian organisations have unhindered access to identify urgent needs and provide emergency care and basic supplies.”