Seeking support
January 29, 2012
The Arab League on Sunday said it would seek help from the United Nations for its plan to get Syrian President Bashar Assad to cede power, hoping to end the violence between government forces and opposition protesters.
Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said the plan, which calls for a two-month transition to a unity government with the opposition, "envisages [the] peaceful departure of the Syrian regime." He and Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim have traveled to New York and are due to discuss Syria with the UN Security Council.
The Arab League has suspended its observer mission in Syria to protest the violence that killed some 80 people over the weekend. Just one week ago, the bloc decided to extend the same observer mission for an extra month, although the six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council withdrew their representatives from the group.
Security Council action
A Security Council draft resolution proposed by Western and Arab countries would lend support to the Arab League proposal. But firm opposition from Russia, which has threatened to use its veto power, prompted diplomats on Saturday to begin revising the draft.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday repeated his opposition to interfering in Syria's domestic affairs, calling the Arab League mission a "useful instrument" whose numbers should be increased.
"We are surprised that after a decision was taken on prolonging the observers' mission for another month, some countries, particularly Persian Gulf countries, recalled their observers from the mission," he said on a visit to Brunei, according to the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency.
Reports from activists in Syria said at least 12 people were killed on Sunday in attacks on the suburbs of Damascus. The UN estimates that some 5,400 people have been killed since the uprising began 11 months ago.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said Thursday that the UN could no longer keep track of the death toll in Syria because of the escalation in violence.
Author: Andrew Bowen (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Martin Kuebler