Brussels, 29/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Saturday 27 February, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini hailed the ceasefire, which - against all expectations - began well that day.
This “first cessation of hostilities in five years of war in Syria” is “the first chance to put an end to violence on the ground and should not be missed”, Mogherini said in a press release. “All of us in the international community, as well as the parties to the conflict, have a responsibility to make this work and not waste the opportunity to save lives and to put Syria on the road to a peaceful solution to the conflict”, she said.
Mogherini stated that if this cessation of hostilities holds, it will create the conditions for “full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Syria”. In the view of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the forced privation of food could results in “thousands” of deaths in the besieged areas. On Monday 29 February, he stated that over 450,000 people were currently trapped in besieged towns and villages - some of them having been so for years.
The ceasefire will also enable promises to be delivered on confidence-building measures agreed by the UN Security Council. In turn, it will enable UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to reconvene the intra-Syrian talks and create the conditions for the political transition that was agreed unanimously by the UN Security Council, Mogherini stated. On Friday 26 February, de Mistura announced the intention to convene a new intra-Syrian negotiating session for Monday 7 March, on condition that the cessation of hostilities holds overall and that humanitarian access is maintained.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday 29 February that the cessation of hostilities was holding, even if “a few incidents” had been observed. He added that the working group on the cessation of hostilities will now try to ensure that this does not happen any longer and that the truce continues. The working group was due to meet again during the afternoon of 29 February. Earlier in the day, the French foreign minister announced that he had received news that the attacks, including by air, were continuing in areas controlled by the moderate opposition. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)