A+ A-

Aleppo's opposition forces rejects de Mistura's ceasefire plan

AMMAN, March 1 (KUNA) -- Opposition military and political forces in Aleppo Sunday rejected UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura's ceasefire plan in the northern city, saying the plan was contradicting with relevant UN resolutions and demands on Bashar Al-Assad to leave.
"We are announcing our refusal to meet with de Mistura but on a comprehensive solution for the Syrian ordeal including the departure of Al-Assad and his regime and punishing the war criminals among them. We also demand this plan to include all Syrian areas," the forces of revolution in Aleppo said in a statement, distributed by the opposition in Damascus.
De Mistura met with Syrian foreign minister Waleed Al-Muallem in Damascus yesterday and discussed a plan to freeze of hostilities. They agreed that a team from de Mistura's office would go to Aleppo to discuss the plan there.
De Mistura's plan is not even an initiative that can solve the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people who are exposed to "chemical weapons and barrel bombs which are banned internationally," said the opposition statement.
The plan, it added, undermined the communique of Geneva I which stipulated formation of an interim authority with executive powers and the departure of Al-Assad, demands backed internationally.
The UN envoy had recently said that Al-Assad was part of the solution to the crisis in Syria, a statement rejected by the opposition revolution command and western countries.
The conflict in Syria, which broke out in March 2011, killed more than 200,000 people and injured many more others. The conflict forced displacement of millions of people either internally or in refugee camps in neighboring countries. (end) tk.bs