19 April 2016•Update: 20 April 2016
GENEVA
The leader of the Syrian opposition’s delegation to peace talks in Geneva on Tuesday called for the international community to enforce the truce that has broken down across large parts of the country.
Riad Hijab, chief coordinator for the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), declared that the truce no longer existed on the ground and said more than 550 Syrians had been killed and nearly 1,100 wounded since the “cessation of hostilities” between warring parties was put in place in late February.
“We are waiting for the International Syrian Support Group [ISSG] to take decisive measures against the one who is killing the Syrian people,” Hijab told a news conference in Geneva.
On Monday, the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said the HNC had unilaterally postponed indirect talks with delegates representing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“We cannot have a solution in Syria while Bashar al-Assad is still exists in power,” Hijab said Tuesday, before going on to accuse Israel of supporting the regime.
He added: “There cannot be a political process which prolongs the life of the regime. There should be a real timetable and a real political process.
“The regime is trying to get away from the political process. Where is the role of international community and the UN here?”
Hijab called upon the ISSG of world and regional powers and the UN Security Council to take action.
Key members of the HNC were to leave Geneva Tuesday following the postponement.
The third round of talks to resolve the Syria conflict began on Wednesday last week. The UN has been unable to give a date for face-to-face discussions between the two sides.
The regime delegation joined the talks Friday following parliamentary elections in Syria two days earlier.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed, according to UN figures released months ago.
