| UN Security Council session (Image: Reuters) |
UN Security
Council has unanimously adopted resolution outlining a peace process in the war
torn Syria. The 15-member Council has reached an agreement of this issue during
the UN Security Council's session held on Friday, 18 December.
The resolution
endorses peace talks to be held between the Syrian government and the
opposition scheduled for early January 2016 and a ceasefire to be implemented for
the time of the talks and further.
Syrian war which
is ongoing for almost five years left more than 250,000 people killed, hundreds
of thousands of people wounded and millions displaced and traumatized, while a
great number of Syrians were forced to flee their war affected country and the
aggression of ISIS and to become refugees.
However, despite
the fact that the UN Security Council has adopted Syrian peace resolution, the
sides still have disagreement regarding the political future of Syrian
President Bashar Al-Asad, as US, UK and France are calling for his departure,
while Russia and China consider him being a legitimate President and demand he
stays in power and participates in the future presidential elections to be held
later in Syria. The resolution itself adopted on Friday does not specifically
mention the future of Asad.
There are also
some disagreements over the definition of which armed groups fighting in Syria
will fall within the limit of a ceasefire.
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| Airstrikes against ISIS in Syria (Image: US MC News) |
In a nutshell,
UN Security Council peace resolution for Syria calls for the ceasefire and
formal negotiations to be held between the current government of Syria and the
oppositional forces, and these talks are expected to start early in January.
Although groups designated as terrorist organizations, such as ISIS and
Al-Nusra Front, are excluded from the peace talks, while the military actions
of the alliance against those terrorist groups are to continue.
UN Chief Ban
Ki-moon is expected to report by 18 January 2016 on how to monitor the
ceasefire in Syria. Governance of the country, which is expected to be
credible, inclusive and non-sectarian, should be formed within six months. Free
and fair elections are scheduled to be held within 18 months and they will be
supervised and monitored by UN.
The key issue of
the resolution is also that the political transition in the country should be
Syrian-led.
However, despite
the fact that resolution was passed by the UN Security Council, there are still
disagreements and sensitive issues. For example, France, US and UK find it
unacceptable that Bashar Al-Asad could stand for the upcoming presidential
election, while Russia and China insist on his participation in the future of
Syria as a precondition for the talks.
Another major
striking point was which rebel groups should be considered being terrorist and excluded
from the Syrian peace talks and a ceasefire. The agreement though demand that
all the parties will cease the fire and any attacks against the civilians.
Meanwhile,
US0led military coalition, recently created Saudi Arabia-led military alliance
of Islamic countries and Russia as well continue their military actions in
Syria against ISIS and terrorist groups.
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