UN Official Urges Syrian Stakeholders To Commit To Dialogue

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, July 17 (KUNA) -- Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, called for genuine reconciliation in Syria with participation of all components of the society.
In an address to an emergency session by the UN Security Council on the situation in Syria on Thursday afternoon, he warned that renewed bloodshed in Syria could derail prospects for a credible, inclusive political transition and widen regional fault lines.
The Council session followed deadly violence in the south and a wave of Israeli airstrikes that reportedly hit military sites and key locations in Damascus.
The senior UN official reiterated the Secretary-General's unequivocal condemnation of all violence against civilians, including all acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after 14 years of brutal conflict.
Noting that "the situation on the ground is fluid," Khiari welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's announcement that security in Suweida governorate will be maintained by "some local factions and spiritual leaders" and that the Druze community is an integral part of the Syrian social fabric.
He reported that, on 12 July, a series of kidnappings in the Druze-majority governorate of Suweida escalated into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and local Druze armed groups.
On 14 July, the Syrian authorities started deploying security forces with the stated aim of halting the clashes, restoring order and bringing those responsible to justice.
Druze armed groups reportedly killed and abducted some of these security forces, and there were also reports of such forces carrying out violations against civilians as they entered Suweida.
"The ensuing fighting resulted in hundreds of casualties among the Damascus security forces and Druze fighters," he reported, also noting that hundreds were injured.
"Further, footage of corpse mutilation, sectarian incitement and looting were widely circulated on social and conventional media, causing additional trauma and intercommunal tension.
He said that, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "civilians caught up in ongoing violence continued to face serious risks, with significant displacement and reports of damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks".
He also acknowledged the Syrian authorities' statement condemning these violations and committing to investigate and hold accountable those responsible.
He urged them to ensure such investigation is transparent, in line with international standards and completed quickly - "not least to instil confidence among all Syrians that their State will guarantee protection and justice for all citizens without distinction."
"Against this complicated and volatile backdrop - citing the violations against the Druze community and pledging to protect them - between 12 and 16 July Israel resumed and intensified its airstrikes on Syrian territory," he went on to report.
Both Israel and Syria must uphold the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, he stressed, also urging all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue.
"Security and stability in Suweida, and indeed in post-Assad Syria, can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and with the participation of all components of Syria's diverse society," Khiari underscored. (end)
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