Seventeen countries met in Vienna on Friday to supposedly end the Syrian war, which has been raging for five years, killed at least 300,000 people and displaced millions, creating one of the worst refugee crises in history.
While those countries failed yet again to agree on one direction to end the conflict, a general outline has been issued. The statement, made of nine points, may sound merely a way to absolve the guilt-ridden world community, which has stood idly by as hundreds of Syrians have died on daily basis. But we finally have a document, and if it is backed up and ultimately enforced by the United Nations Security Council, we may see a light at the end of the Syrian tunnel.
The Syrian people, caught in the middle of a ruthless regime and dozens of armed groups, were not invited to the Vienna conference, nor were their legitimate representatives. The countries that met on Friday said they will be meeting “in two weeks”. In those two weeks, of course, hundreds more Syrians will die and thousands will risk their lives to flee their homeland and are likely to lose their lives on the way too.
For the ordinary Syrian, it may be inexplicable that after five years of war and repression the world needs such marathon meetings to identify and address the problem. But the Syrian conflict has grown so complicated; it would be unrealistic for anyone to claim to have a magic solution.
Now, it is upon those countries that have an influence over the Syrian parties to bring them to the table. History will condemn those who have failed the Syrian people.
The Syrian conflict could be very well the most difficult test that has faced the international community in modern history. And we have failed.
Today, the Vienna document represents an opportunity, not an ideal one, but one that could offer a way out of the impasse. And we must seize it.
