New UN Syria envoy puts pressure on regime

Beirut: The UN’s new envoy to Syria told President Bashar Al Assad’s regime that change is both “urgent” and “necessary” and that it must meet the “legitimate” demands of the Syrian people, words that will not win the seasoned Algerian diplomat and international trouble shooter any friends in Damascus.

On his first day on the job, Lakhdar Brahimi also called on both sides to end violence in Syria, but said Al Assad’s government bears more responsibility than anyone else to halt the bloodshed. These remarks were seemingly intended to push the Damascus government to ease off on military operations to create a better atmosphere for his peace mission.

“I call on parties inside Syria to halt the fighting. Undoubtedly, this call is primarily directed to the government. More than others, it is the duty of governments, under any circumstances and anywhere, not just in Syria, to ensure security and stability for their people,” Brahimi told Al Arabiya television in an interview.

“The need for change is urgent and necessary. The Syrian people must be satisfied and their legitimate demands are met,” he said.

There was no immediate response from the Syrian government to the comments made by Brahimi, who replaced Kofi Annan who quit after his six-point plan including an April 12 cease-fire failed to stop the Syrian civil war.

Brahimi said he had no new ideas to end the conflict and has yet to decide when to make his first visit Damascus in his new capacity.

“I don’t have anything new except insisting on the necessity of ending the violence and starting a political process that has credibility and able to bring about peace and stability for the Syrian people,” he said.

“A transitional political process is what is needed. There is no disagreement inside or outside Syria that a new situation or a new political framework is needed,” he said, adding that since the government and the opposition are not talking to each other, they could use him as the go-between.

Addressing himself to the opposition, he said: “Realise that the situation is both difficult and dangerous and what is important is the interest of the entire people of Syria, not individuals or groups.”

Brahimi refused to directly comment on statements made in Moscow on Saturday by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the international community should try to persuade all sides in the Syrian conflict to stop the violence and that it would be naive or provocative to ask the Syrian government to stop the violence first.

Asked about the Russian’s comments, he said: “He is responsible for his words and has the right to say that all parties must stop the violence. But, undoubtedly, I don’t believe that Lavrov differs with my view that the responsibility of the government is greater than that of that the others.”