-
UN Envoy to Syria Arrives in Damascus and Emphasizes the Importance of Political Change
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, arrived in the capital Damascus on Sunday coming from Aqaba.
In his statements to "Al Arabiya.net/Al Hadath.net," Pedersen expressed optimism regarding the changes that have occurred following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, affirming that this change offers "great hope" for the Syrian people.
He pointed out the importance of preventing any retaliatory actions in the country, stating, "We want accountability without revenge." He also emphasized that "there are significant challenges facing us in Syria," insisting that the "political process must be inclusive and led by the Syrians themselves."
Pedersen added that he hopes to lift the sanctions imposed on the country and enhance efforts for its reconstruction. He affirmed that the United Nations is working to engage with all Syrians from various backgrounds.
In recent weeks, Pedersen has called for the implementation of an inclusive transitional process to avoid a "new civil war" in Syria. He participated on Saturday in a meeting in Aqaba where he met with Arab ministers and officials from the European Union and Turkey to discuss the situation in Syria. The participants supported the idea of forming an inclusive transitional governing body by Syrian consensus to contribute to the transition to "a political system that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people" through free and fair elections supervised by the United Nations.
In the context of recent military developments, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its allied armed factions launched a surprise attack on Syrian forces in late last month, resulting in a rapid takeover of Aleppo, followed by Hama and Homs, before extending control to the capital, Damascus. Damascus fell on the seventh of this month, and the previous government declared the fall of the regime and the flight of President Bashar al-Assad the following day.
