Russia faults move to suspend Syria mission
PHOTO | AFP
Anti-government Syrian protesters holding a slogan during an anti-regime demonstration in the southern city of Daraa on January 28, 2012 where a civilian was fatally wounded by security forces. At least 34 people died in violence across Syria on January 28.
What you need to know:
- Fierce clashes kill 22 mostly soldiers, as Arab League pleads with Moscow and Beijing to back UN sanctions call
MOSCOW, Sunday
Russia on Sunday slammed a decision to suspend the Arab League’s observer mission in its long time ally Syria after a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters.
“We would like to know why they are treating such a useful instrument in this way,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on a visit to Brunei, cited by the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency.
“I would support an increased number of observers,” Mr Lavrov said.
“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.”
The Arab League suspended its observer mission on Saturday as the bloodshed in a crackdown on anti-regime protests spiked and the death toll in four days topped 210.
Mr Lavrov said that he did not back those Western countries that said the mission was pointless and that it was impossible to hold dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“I think these are very irresponsible statements because trying to sabotage a chance to calm the situation is absolutely unforgiveable,” he said, cited by the Interfax news agency. Russia has refused to support a proposed European-Arab UN resolution on the Syria crisis that gives strong backing to an Arab League plan calling on Assad to go.
Mr Lavrov said Russia wanted to read the Arab League observers’ report ahead of a visit by the Arab League’s secretary general and Qatar’s prime minister to the Security Council on Tuesday when they will press the case for UN action.
Fierce clashes on Sunday killed at least 22 Syrians, mostly soldiers, as opponents of President Bashar al-Assad sought to up the pressure for UN action after the Arab League withdrew its observers.
League chief Nabil al-Arabi, departing Cairo for the United Nations, said he hoped for a change of stance by Russia and China on a draft Security Council resolution that would back an Arab plan to end the Syrian crisis.
According to an AFP tally taken from reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and state media, at least 232 people — among them 147 civilians — have been killed since Tuesday.
That adds to the figure of more than 5,400 given by the United Nations last month since anti-regime protests erupted in mid-March.
Arabi has said the decision to suspend the monitoring mission was taken “because of the upsurge of violence whose victims are innocent civilians” and after Damascus “chose the option of escalation.”
Moscow still enjoys close trade ties with its Soviet-era ally, signing a new military jet delivery contract with Damascus this month and still leasing one of its ports for its navy.
Russia has proposed its own draft resolution that assigns equal blame for the violence on both Assad and the opposition, an option dismissed by the West.
The opposition Syrian National Council has called for the Syrian diaspora to protest Sunday outside Russian diplomatic missions against Moscow’s opposition to the draft resolution.
(AFP)
