UN: Way forward for Syria's political transition remains unclear

 

A man sits near flags placed by Syria's new leaders after the ousting of its longtime authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo, Syria, Jan. 8, 2025.

UNITED NATIONS —

The top U.N. envoy for Syria said Wednesday that the Syrian people and the international community need to get “the next phase right” as the country rebuilds after nearly 14 years of civil war and the collapse of the Assad family regime.

“The way forward on political transition is unclear,” Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council in a video briefing from Geneva. “There are positive elements to build on, but also points of concern that Syrians are expressing.”

A lightning offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, seized control of Damascus one month ago, leading to President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia and ending more than half a century of oppressive rule by Bashar and his late father, Hafez.

Pedersen said some Syrians have expressed concerns to his office about a lack of transparency on the “timing, framework, goals, procedures in any national dialogue conference — as well as participation, in terms of criteria for attendance and balance of representation.”

Damascus is seen from Mount Qasioun on Jan. 7, 2025, one month after the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The caretaker authorities said a national dialogue conference expected to take place around Jan. 5 was postponed until they could form a preparatory committee to organize a conference with broad representation.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of HTS and Syria\’s de facto leader, affirmed in an interview with Saudi television channel Al-Arabiya on Sunday that there would be an inclusive national dialogue process. He also said that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years and that elections could take up to four years.

Pockets of instability

U.N. envoy Pedersen also warned that there are signs of instability in some parts of the country.

“While there are many areas where law and order appears to be good, we have seen multiple reports of incidents of violence — in the coastal region and Homs and Hama in particular — including accounts of degrading and humiliating treatment,” he told the council.

He said videos have been circulating of apparent abuses or extrajudicial killings of officials from the Assad government but noted reports that the new authorities had arrested some of the perpetrators.

He said there are “significant areas” outside the control of the caretaker authorities where fighting continues and poses threats to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

In northeast Syria, Turkey has warned that it may step up military operations against Kurdish fighters who control a large swath of territory.

Pedersen also noted that Islamic State fighters remain “a significant concern” and said they could try to take advantage of insecurity in some areas to reassert themselves.

Israel also moved quickly to eliminate potential threats from the new de facto leaders in Syria, launching hundreds of airstrikes on the country in the days after the regime collapsed. Israel’s military also moved into the zone patrolled by United Nations peacekeepers between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the rest of Syria.

“Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria — reported even just last week in Aleppo — could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition,” Pedersen warned.

An Israeli soldier stands guard at the Hermon ski resort, bordering Syria and Lebanon, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Jan. 8, 2025.

Syria’s U.N. ambassador sought to assure the international community of the new authorities’ intentions.

“Syrian authorities also stressed that the new Syria is willing to play a positive role in the international arena,” Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said. “It will be a positive contributor to the promotion of international and regional peace and security, and it will not engage in any conflict or war.”

He said in the month that has passed since the fall of the Assad government, the country has entered a “new era” and Syrians have “removed the chains of oppression and reclaimed the freedom of which they were deprived for decades.”

Aldahhak said all Syrians would come together to build a state of “freedom, equality and rule of law, to achieve prosperity and civility, to turn the page of oppression and suffering and human rights abuses.”

Humanitarian situation

After nearly 14 years of civil war, Syria is one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with 17 million people — more than 70% of the population — in need of assistance and funding in short supply.

The U.N. humanitarian chief told the council that his office is releasing an additional $8 million for Syria from its emergency fund, bringing its total contribution to $20 million. Tom Fletcher urged countries to contribute to the humanitarian response plan, which calls for just over $4 billion and is only a third funded.

People celebrate as families who were displaced in the war between opposition groups and the Assad regime return to their homes in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 8, 2025.

The United States announced Tuesday it would expand authorizations for activities and transactions in Syria to help meet basic needs and provide public services or humanitarian assistance.

“This authorization is for six months, as the United States continues to monitor the evolving situation on the ground,” Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dorothy Shea told the council. “The United States is committed to assisting Syrians in this extraordinary moment to forge a new future for and by its people.”

Syria’s envoy welcomed the move and urged the U.N. and all member states to fully lift sanctions imposed on the Assad regime and provide humanitarian funding to help the country in its recovery.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.

 

By：VOA