Tag: UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura

All eyes on Syria as ceasefire deadline looms

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — US President Barack Obama warned Russia and Damacus that the “world will be watching”, hours before a partial truce was due to come into force in war-torn Syria on Saturday. Obama said “the coming days will be critical” for the ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington, and agreed to by both President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Syria’s top opposition grouping. The deal — which excludes the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and […]

UN Syria envoy pleas for peace ahead of Geneva talks

On the eve of the first Syrian peace talks in two years, the UN Syria envoy made an emotional plea on Thursday (January 28) for a peaceful resolution to the bloody and bitter five-year-long war. However, earlier on Thursday the Syrian opposition said it will not attend peace talks due to begin in Geneva on Friday (January 29), derailing the first attempt in two years to hold negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. An opposition […]