Price of Continuing Syria Civil War Too High, UN's Ban Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that the more than four-year-old Syrian conflict, which has left at least 250,000 killed and turned more than 4 million people into refugees, "is a shameful symbol of the international community's divisions and failure."
"The price of continuing the civil war is simply too high. In the name of humanity there is no alternative to the negotiating table," Ban added.
He said international support is critical to UN point man on Syria, Staffan de Mistura's new peace effort and urged the international community to build on the political momentum generated by the recent nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers to work on resolving the conflict in Syria.
Ban also urged the Security Council to endorse de Mistura's recommendations and convince the Syrian parties to participate in the proposed talks. He further urged the council, Syria's neighbors and regional sponsors of the parties fighting in Syria "to stem all flows of arms and foreign fighters pouring into the country" and "to stop using the country as a proxy battleground."
Over the last 2 1/2 months de Mistura held talks with over 200 individuals — Syrians and non-Syrians — on finding a political solution.
He said the talks revealed a shared sense of urgency given recent gains by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, and "talk about fragmentation, radicalization and sectarianism." He said there was also wide support for "a managed, phased, gradual or controlled transition, avoiding a repeat of Libya or Iraq."
De Mistura said the two past peace conferences in Geneva in 2012 and 2014, which failed to bring peace, still got opposing Syrian parties to start talking to each other, even indirectly.
He said his aim was now to hold simultaneous discussions among Syrians on addressing key aspects of the 2012 Geneva roadmap and Ban said the UN hopes to get four working groups operational in September.
De Mistura said they will tackle safety and protection of civilians, medical access and the release of detainees, political and constitutional issues, combatting terrorism, as well as reconstruction and development.
After closed consultations, secretary-general Ban said he was "encouraged by the many expressions of strong support" for De Misutra's plan from council members.
Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said de Mistura's proposals will be sent to Damascus and will be studied thoroughly.
He stressed that combatting terrorism is a top priority for his government and welcomed the emphasis by UN leaders on the negative roles by neighboring countries in supporting "the so-called foreign terrorist fighters." Syria has often accused neighboring Turkey and the Persian Gulf countries, especially Qatar, of supporting "terrorists" inside the country.
"We cannot go ahead with the political track and put aside the issue of combatting terrorism. We need stabilization of the country ... and then we engage peacefully on the other tracks," Ja'afari said.