Syria
Syria violence kills eight even as UN mission grows (17.05.2012)
(Source:Reliefweb)
Violence in Syria cost at least eight lives on Saturday even as a UN force to oversee a truce neared half its planned strength, monitors said, while an Islamist group claimed deadly blasts in Damascus.
Syria opposition head 'to resign' (17.05.2012)
(Source:BBC)
The head of Syria's main opposition alliance, the Syrian National Council, has said he will resign amid growing criticism and rifts within the group.
Assad blames ‘terrorists’ for violence in rare interview (17.05.2012)
(Source:VOA News)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a rare television interview that his government is fighting foreign-backed terrorists – not democracy activists – as part of his 14-month crackdown against an opposition uprising. The interview with Russian television suggested Mr. Assad has little intention of ending his deadly crackdown on dissent, despite international condemnation and a peace plan that calls for a ceasefire.
Syria election results show support for reforms, says Assad (16.05.2012)
(Source:BBC)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that the results of last week's parliamentary elections prove people support his government's reforms. … The election commission said on Tuesday that turnout was 51% for the polls, which the opposition said were a farce.
Bomb explodes near UN observer convoy in Syria (09.05.2012)
(Source:UN News)
The UNSMIS delegation – led by Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer Major-General Robert Mood – was on its way from Damascus for a visit to Dar'a, under Syrian army escort.
U.N. envoy says Syria continues to violate cease-fire (08.05.2012)
(Source:New York Times)
Offering a gloomy assessment of the nearly month-old cease-fire in Syria, Kofi Annan, its main architect, said Tuesday that despite some decrease in military assaults, continuing “serious violations” could undermine the full peace plan.
Syrians vote for new parliament amid boycott calls (07.05.2012)
(Source:BBC)
The elections, promised last year by President Bashar al-Assad, were the first in 40 years not to guarantee a majority for the ruling Baath Party. Opposition groups dismissed them as a sham, calling for a boycott.
Syrian opposition needs unity but continues to splinter (02.05.2012)
(Source:VOA News)
As violence continues in Syria, and the United Nations struggles to get its truce observers into place, the Syrian opposition is splintering into even more factions. … But in the far calmer surroundings of Paris, another Syrian opposition group was born last week, with plans to form a government-in-exile.
All 300 UN observers to be in Syria by end of May: UN (01.05.2012)
(Source:Reuters)
The United Nations is accelerating deployment of unarmed observers to Syria to ensure all 300 are on the ground by the end of May to monitor a shaky U.N.-backed ceasefire, U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said on Tuesday.
Syria ceasefire violated, says UN chief (01.05.2012)
(Source:The Guardian)
The UN peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday that its military observers in Syria are reporting ceasefire violations from the government and opposition and he demanded an immediate halt to all violence.
Ban appoints Norwegian general as head of UN mission in Syria (27.04.2012)
(Source:UN News)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Major General Robert Mood of Norway as the head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS).
Syria violence still unacceptable, says Kofi Annan (25.04.2012)
(Source:BBC)
The UN special envoy, Kofi Annan, has told the Security Council that Syria is still witnessing unacceptable levels of violence, despite a ceasefire being in place since 12 April. Briefing diplomats in a closed-door session, Mr Annan said he was alarmed about surges in violence in Syrian cities after visits by UN monitors. … The UN wants to increase its observers in Syria from a handful to 300.
France warns Syria about possibly tougher UN action if Annan peace plan isn’t honored (25.04.2012)
(Source:Washington Post)
France on Wednesday warned that if Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime doesn’t fully implement an international peace plan it will seek U.N. action under a provision that includes possible military action. The comments from French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe signaled that Paris is increasingly lining up behind a U.S. position laid out by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last week.
EU agrees new sanctions against Syria (23.04.2012)
(Source:RFE/RL)
European Union nations have agreed to impose new sanctions targeting the Syrian regime over the continuing violence in the country.
UN Security Council authorizes team of up to 300 cease-fire observers (21.04.2012)
(Source:Washington Post)
The U.N. Security Council voted Saturday to establish a full-fledged U.N. mission, with up to 300 unarmed military observers and an unspecified number of civilian specialists, to monitor a shaky cease-fire between the Syrian government and armed opposition forces.
Syria 'failing to keep to truce', says Ban Ki-moon (19.04.2012)
(Source:BBC)
The UN secretary general says Syria has failed to comply with its obligation under a peace plan to pull troops and heavy weapons out of urban areas. In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ban Ki-moon also called for an observer mission to be expanded from the small number already in the country to 300.
Syria-UN sign agreement on monitoring mission (19.04.2012)
(Source:Reuters AlertNet)
Syria and the United Nations signed an agreement on Thursday on the terms of a ceasefire monitoring mission, a Reuters witness at the Foreign Ministry in Damascus said.
UN truce observers arrive in Syria as shelling continues (16.04.2012)
(Source:New York Times)
An initial team of six United Nations military observers arrived in Syria on Monday to monitor compliance with the fragile, four-day-old cease-fire negotiated by the special envoy Kofi Annan, his spokesman said, as activists reported government shelling in Homs, Hama and other areas.
UN meets on draft to authorize Syrian observer force (12.04.2012)
(Source:Reuters AlertNet)
The U.N. Security Council moved quickly on Thursday in an effort to honor a request from international Syria mediator Kofi Annan to authorize the deployment of a U.N. truce-monitoring force to prevent a fragile ceasefire from collapsing.
Syria’s Phase of Radicalisation – new ICG report (10.04.2012)
(Source:ICG)
Predictable obstacles in implementing UN envoy Kofi Annan’s peace plan should not lead to give up on the only serious option on the table. “Syria’s Phase of Radicalisation”, the latest policy briefing by the International Crisis Group, examines what has driven President Bashar Assad to unleash his loyalist forces and opposition groups to escalate their own violence.
Annan: No “signal of peace” from Syria (10.04.2012)
(Source:BBC)
The Syrian government has failed to send a "powerful political signal of peace", UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has told the UN Security Council. The Syrian army continued operations in population centres despite an agreement to pull out troops by Tuesday, he said.
Syrian troops fire across Turkish border in clash near refugee camp (09.04.2012)
(Source:New York Times)
The deadly confrontation between Syria and opposition groups spilled into Turkey for the first time on Monday as Syrian forces fired across the border near a refugee camp. The shooting killed two Syrian refugees and wounded at least 23 people, including a Turkish police officer.
New Syria clashes as UN envoy set to arrive (05.04.2012)
(Source:BBC)
Syrian troops have launched fresh assaults on rebels, activists say, as the government prepares to host an envoy of UN mediator Kofi Annan. … The envoy, May-Gen Robert Mood, is scheduled to discuss the deployment of ceasefire monitors across Syria.
Annan says Syria agrees to April 10 peace deadline (02.04.2012)
(Source:Reuters)
Syria has pledged to withdraw all military units from towns by April 10 to pave the way for a ceasefire with rebels two days later, though Western envoys were skeptical on Monday about Damascus' intent to halt its year-long assault on opponents.
'Friends of Syria' conference in Turkey ends with list of declarations, few concrete decisions (01.04.2012)
(Source:Haaretz)
Representatives of the 70-plus nations decide to recognize the Syrian National Council as the representative of the Syrian people, but stop short of supplying the opposition with arms.
Arab League backs Annan Syria plan (29.03.2012)
(Source:Al Jazeera)
Arab League foreign ministers meeting in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have agreed on a draft resolution on Syria, which calls for action on a UN-backed peace plan formulated by former UN chief Kofi Annan. Speaking after the first day of the summit on Wednesday, Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi foreign minister, said "the Syrian crisis is not exclusively an Arab one, it affects the entire international community", and called for a "unified vision" when it came to resolving regional issues.
Syria clashes as Arab League meets in Baghdad (28.03.2012)
(Source:BBC)
Syrian forces are bombarding a town in the province of Hama for the 17th straight day, activists say, as the Arab League discusses a peace plan to end a year of fighting in Syria.
Syrian government accepts Annan peace plan (27.03.2012)
(Source:BBC)
Syria's government has agreed to accept the peace plan put forward by the United Nations and Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan, his spokesman has said. … The plan calls for an end to the fighting in a UN-supervised ceasefire.
Clashes across Syria despite U.N. pressure (22.03.2012)
(Source:The Daily Star)
Clashes flared across Syria on Thursday, opposition activists said, the day after the U.N. Security Council had called on all sides to stop fighting and seek a negotiated settlement to the year-long uprising.
Russia and China join UN Security Council effort to end Syrian bloodshed (21.03.2012)
(Source:The Guardian)
All 15 council members unite to throw weight behind Kofi Annan's peace plan in rare show of global unity.