A+ A-

OPCW Fact-Finding Mission visits second site in Douma, Syria

BRUSSELS, April 25 (KUNA) -- The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Wednesday carried out a visit to a second location in Douma in Syria.
It also collected samples at this site. These samples will be brought back, together with other samples, to the OPCW laboratory in Rijswik, OPCW said in a press release at the Hague.
FFM was deployed to Damascus on 14 April to gather facts in connection with the reported use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria, on 7 April.
Security arrangements for the team's deployment to various locations in Douma were made by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in liaison with the Syrian authorities and the Russian Military Police.
Due to the security situation the team was only able to visit Douma on 21 April. The team also interviewed some people related to the Douma incident, who were brought to Damascus, it noted.
Meanwhile, the OPCW Technical Secretariat was informed by the Russian delegation to the OPCW that it will organise a briefing for States Parties in The Hague on 26 April.
The delegation would bring some Syrians to speak about the reported Douma incident.
In line with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu's earlier requests to States Parties to share information on the Douma incident, the Secretariat advised the Russian delegation that these persons should be first interviewed by the FFM.
It was also recommended that such a briefing take place once the FFM has completed its work.
Nevertheless, the Russian delegation stated that it would go ahead with the briefing and that its intention was not to interfere with the FFM's work.
The FFM will continue to carry out its independent and impartial mission based on interviews with relevant people, its findings from the site visits, analysis of the sample results, as well as any other information and materials collected, added the press release. (end) nk.sd