Beirut: Syria’s main opposition group was “surprised” by the UN observer mission’s suspension, it said on Saturday, calling on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII to arm the monitors.
“At a time when the regime is committing its worst crimes against the Syrian people, we are surprised by the UN observers’ decision to suspend their work, because of what they described as ‘an intensification’ of violence,” the Syrian National Council said in a statement obtained by AFP.
The SNC’s statement said the UN monitors had failed “to pinpoint the source or type of violence in question.”
Suspending the mission, the statement added, “serves the criminal regime’s interests, and denies the Syrian people the little protection they had.”
The SNC reiterated its calls for the UN Security Council to “intervene quickly, and to pass a resolution under Chapter VII [of the UN Charter] to arm the UN monitors, so that they can defend themselves... and ensure that the regime stops killing, while enforcing [UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s] peace plan.”
UN observers sent to Syria to monitor an April 12 ceasefire that never took hold have suspended their mission, Major-General Robert Mood said on Saturday.
Speaking of “intensified violence” in the past 10 days, the risk to observers and the “lack of willingness by the parties to seek a peaceful solution,” Mood said the mission is “suspending its activities.”
“This escalation is limiting our ability to observe, verify, report as well as assist in local dialogue and stability projects — basically impeding our ability to carry out our mandate.”
A former SNC chief on Saturday urged the United Nations to deploy peacekeepers after the observer mission’s suspension.
“We have to send UN peacekeepers to Syria on a mission with more people who would be able to protect themselves from the violence of the regime,” said Burhan Galioun, now SNC political bureau chief.
