Reuters, Amman :
A delegation representing Syria’s main opposition group were traveling to Geneva on Saturday to assess whether to join Syrian government representatives in United Nations-brokered peace talks, an opposition representative said.
The 17-strong team included the head of the Saudi-backed Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC), Riad Hijab, and negotiating team leader, Asaad al-Zoubi, Riyad Naasan Agha told Reuters.
The HNC, which includes political and militant opponents of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, said it wanted to discuss humanitarian issues before engaging in negotiations in peace talks that started on Friday to try to end a five-year-old war.
“We are going to Geneva to put to the test the seriousness of the international community in its promises to the Syrian people and to also test the seriousness of the regime in implementing its humanitarian obligations,” Agha said.
“We want to show the world our seriousness in moving toward negotiations to find a political solution,” he told Reuters.
The HNC’s demands are that bombing by Russia and the Syrian government stops and aid convoys are allowed into rebel-held besieged areas where tens of thousands are living in dire conditions, Agha said.
“We are not calling for miracles nor a complete cessation of hostilities but the indiscriminate shelling of markets, hospitals and schools by the regime and its Russian backers,” he said.
Russia and Syria have repeatedly denied targeting civilians, saying they take great care to avoid bombing residential areas.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday welcomed a late decision by the main Syrian opposition coalition to take part in UN-backed talks designed to end their country’s bloody civil war.
“The United States welcomes the important decision by the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian opposition to attend negotiations hosted by the United Nations in Geneva,” Kerry said in a statement.
“The United States also reiterates that UN Security Council Resolution 2254 must be fully implemented by all parties to the talks, including with regard to the urgent need for humanitarian access for besieged areas of Syria,” he added.
This had been a key demand of the rebel coalition, which had insisted that Syrian government forces and their Russian allies halt the bombing of besieged enclaves and allow humanitarian convoys to reach starving families.
“The United States further expects that both sides in these negotiations will participate in good faith and achieve early, measurable progress in the days ahead,” Kerry said.
Next week, Kerry is to attend a fundraising meeting with donor states in London to support humanitarian efforts to ease the plight of refugees and displaced people caught up in Syria’s civil war.
Madaya: ‘Another 16 starve to death’ in besieged Syrian townAnother 16 people have starved to death in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya since UN aid convoys reached it earlier this month, according to charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.
The charity says there are also 33 people in danger of dying.
Brice de la Vigne, MSF operations director, said the situation was “totally unacceptable” when people “should have been evacuated weeks ago”.
MSF previously said 30 people died of starvation in the town late last year.
Earlier in January, two emergency convoys of food and aid supplies were delivered to Madaya, where up to 40,000 people are believed to be trapped in appalling conditions.
A delegation representing Syria’s main opposition group were traveling to Geneva on Saturday to assess whether to join Syrian government representatives in United Nations-brokered peace talks, an opposition representative said.
The 17-strong team included the head of the Saudi-backed Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC), Riad Hijab, and negotiating team leader, Asaad al-Zoubi, Riyad Naasan Agha told Reuters.
The HNC, which includes political and militant opponents of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, said it wanted to discuss humanitarian issues before engaging in negotiations in peace talks that started on Friday to try to end a five-year-old war.
“We are going to Geneva to put to the test the seriousness of the international community in its promises to the Syrian people and to also test the seriousness of the regime in implementing its humanitarian obligations,” Agha said.
“We want to show the world our seriousness in moving toward negotiations to find a political solution,” he told Reuters.
The HNC’s demands are that bombing by Russia and the Syrian government stops and aid convoys are allowed into rebel-held besieged areas where tens of thousands are living in dire conditions, Agha said.
“We are not calling for miracles nor a complete cessation of hostilities but the indiscriminate shelling of markets, hospitals and schools by the regime and its Russian backers,” he said.
Russia and Syria have repeatedly denied targeting civilians, saying they take great care to avoid bombing residential areas.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday welcomed a late decision by the main Syrian opposition coalition to take part in UN-backed talks designed to end their country’s bloody civil war.
“The United States welcomes the important decision by the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian opposition to attend negotiations hosted by the United Nations in Geneva,” Kerry said in a statement.
“The United States also reiterates that UN Security Council Resolution 2254 must be fully implemented by all parties to the talks, including with regard to the urgent need for humanitarian access for besieged areas of Syria,” he added.
This had been a key demand of the rebel coalition, which had insisted that Syrian government forces and their Russian allies halt the bombing of besieged enclaves and allow humanitarian convoys to reach starving families.
“The United States further expects that both sides in these negotiations will participate in good faith and achieve early, measurable progress in the days ahead,” Kerry said.
Next week, Kerry is to attend a fundraising meeting with donor states in London to support humanitarian efforts to ease the plight of refugees and displaced people caught up in Syria’s civil war.
Madaya: ‘Another 16 starve to death’ in besieged Syrian townAnother 16 people have starved to death in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya since UN aid convoys reached it earlier this month, according to charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.
The charity says there are also 33 people in danger of dying.
Brice de la Vigne, MSF operations director, said the situation was “totally unacceptable” when people “should have been evacuated weeks ago”.
MSF previously said 30 people died of starvation in the town late last year.
Earlier in January, two emergency convoys of food and aid supplies were delivered to Madaya, where up to 40,000 people are believed to be trapped in appalling conditions.
