World powers have agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to begin in a week's time, after talks in Germany.
- The halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.
Ministers from the International Syria Support Group also agreed to accelerate and expand aid deliveries.
The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, advances in Aleppo province.
The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo.
US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted the ceasefire plan was "ambitious" and said the real test would be whether the parties honoured the commitments.
"What we have here are words on paper, what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said.
A task force chaired by the US and Russia will work to implement the truce through consultations with Syria's warring factions.
Aid deliveries for besieged Syrian communities are due to begin as early as Friday.
Both Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry admitted, repeatedly, this was only progress on paper. Some diplomats are already saying "it's not worth the paper it's printed on".
There are still major gaps. One of the biggest is that Russia's bombing of Aleppo and what it calls terrorist targets is not included in the possible truce even though its actions are seen by many as strengthening Syrian government forces.
On the issue of delivering desperately needed aid to besieged areas, UN officials say they are determined to seize this new opening.
The next week will confirm whether Syria's government and opposition forces are ready to provide access denied for so long...
BBC
12/2/16
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Related:
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Major powers agree to plan for 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria...
ReplyDeleteMajor powers agreed on Friday to implement a cessation of hostilities in Syria and to expand delivery of humanitarian aid to people caught up in the conflict, officials said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters after a meeting in Munich that included Russia and more than a dozen other countries, said the target for implementing the nationwide cessation of fighting was a week's time. He said all participants had agreed that Syrian peace negotiations should resume in Geneva as soon as possible.
He said the cessation would not apply to Islamic State and other militant groups fighting in Syria. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said ending fighting could only succeed if Russia stopped air strikes supporting Syrian government forces' advance against the opposition.
"If implemented fully and properly ... this (deal) will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria," Hammond said in a statement.
A Western diplomatic source said, "We did not get a deal on the immediate end of Russian bombings, but we have a commitment to a process that if it works would change the situation."
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday raised the spectre of an interminable conflict or even a world war if powers failed to negotiate an end to the fighting in Syria, which has killed 250,000 people, caused a refugee crisis and empowered Islamic State militants.......http://www.france24.com/en/20160212-major-powers-agree-plan-cessation-hostilities-syria
Diplomáticos acuerdan cese el fuego en Siria ...
ReplyDeleteEn Munich, Alemania, el Secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos John Kerry anunció un acuerdo internacional, que incluye a Rusia, para acelerar la entrega de suministros humanitarios a la población civil siria que sufre los embates del conflicto en esa nación.
Medios europeos informaron que el jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense ofreció una rueda de prensa con su homólogo ruso Sergei Lavrov, tras reunirse con el emisario de Naciones Unidas para Siria, Staffan de Mistura e integrantes del Grupo Internacional de Apoyo a Siria, durante más de ocho horas el jueves.
El cese de hostilidades entraría en efecto esta misma semana, dijo el Secretario Kerry.
El anuncio tuvo lugar a primeras horas de la madrugada del viernes, hora local, en Munich
voanoticias.com
Syrie : accord russo-américain pour une cessation des hostilités ...
ReplyDeleteLes États-Unis et la Russie sont parvenus à un accord sur une "cessation des hostilités" en Syrie dans la semaine à venir, pour relancer le processus de paix et stopper l'exode des civils. Ils ont également convenu d'accélérer l'aide humanitaire.
Vers un cessez-le-feu en Syrie ? Les États-Unis et la Russie sont tombés d'accord, dans la nuit du jeudi 11 au vendredi 12 février, sur une "cessation des hostilités" en Syrie qui doit intervenir dans un délai d'une semaine, afin de relancer le processus de paix et de stopper l'exode de civils.
À l'issue de cinq heures d'intenses négociations à Munich, en Allemagne, les deux pays et leurs principaux alliés ont aussi décidé un accès accru et "immédiat" de l'aide humanitaire aux civils en détresse.....http://www.france24.com/fr/20160212-syrie-accord-russie-etats-unis-cessez-le-feu-semaine
12/2/16