Clashes are intensifying between government forces and rebels in the southern city of Deraa, not far from the border with Jordan. The clashes between government forces and rebels intensified despite an announcement of a ceasefire last week ahead of peace efforts in Geneva, which were brokered by the United Nations. The Syrian opposition, which continues to lose ground in the war-torn-country to both the government and al-Qaeda linked forces, urged Russia to pressure its allies in Damascus to engage in political negotiations – warry that gains made by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad will weaken their resolve for demanded compromise.
“We wish from it (referring to Russia) a real, constructive and positive support to the political process to reach the solution we all ask for and dream about,” said Nasr al-Hariri, Chief Negotiator – Syrian opposition.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Moscow-brokered talks on Syria, which were held in the Kazakh capital of Astana, as a key factor in jumpstarting the UN-led peace negotiations in Geneva today. At the first round of the talks in Astana in January, Russia and Iran, allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, an Assad opponent, reaffirmed a shaky ceasefire between insurgents and the Syrian government.
“I know that Kazakhstan played a very positive role, not only as a host country and organizer of this event, but also really influenced the positive results of the meetings which took place in Astana, organized twice.”/ “These meetings ended with such (positive) results, that until now has not been (achieved), namely the creation of a mechanism to control the ceasefire, and this in fact is the most important thing. The most important thing is the foundation that has allowed the Geneva negotiations to resume,” said Putin.
As I mentioned before, the Astana ceasefire has repeatedly been violated, while the war with extreme Muslim groups such as the Islamic State – which are not included under the ceasefire – has raged on, in a war that has claimed the lives of more than half a million people and caused the severest refugee crisis, since world war two.