UN-brokered Syrian peace talks resumed in Geneva yesterday, but hopes of a breakthrough were dim, clouded by persistent violence and deadlock over the nation’s political future.
On the eve of the talks, 10 months after the last round of negotiations in the Swiss city, Russia called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop his bombing campaign during the discussions, but just hours after rival delegations arrived, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura admitted there was limited ground for progress.
“Am I expecting a breakthrough? No, I am not expecting a breakthrough,” the veteran diplomat said, noting that “momentum” toward further talks was likely the best that could be hoped for.
The government delegation was headed by Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari and the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) was led by cardiologist Nasr al-Hariri and lawyer Mohammad Sabra.
On the eve of the talks an HNC spokesman said the umbrella group wanted face-to-face discussions with government representatives.
“We ask for direct negotiations ... It would save time and be proof of seriousness instead of negotiating in [separate] rooms,” spokesman Salem al-Meslet said.
During three previous rounds of talks in Geneva last year, the two sides never sat down at the same table, instead leaving De Mistura to shuttle between them.
This time, De Mistura has voiced hope that he would manage to bring the two sides together for direct talks.
The ground has shifted since the last UN-sponsored talks broke up in April last year and the rebels are in a significantly weaker position.
The Syrian army has recaptured the rebel bastion of eastern Aleppo and the US, once staunchly opposed to al-Assad, has said it is reassessing every aspect of its Syria policy under US President Donald Trump.
However, the toughest issues remain similar to a year ago.
The latest truce was brokered in late December by opposition supporter Turkey and regime-backer Russia.
The deal has reduced violence, but fighting flared again this week, including a government bombing campaign on rebel territory around Damascus.
The HNC alleged that al-Assad was trying to send “a bloody message.”
A bitter dispute over al-Assad’s fate also continues to divide the camps. The HNC has insisted he must leave office as part of any deal, while Damascus has said the president’s future is not open for negotiation.
Forcing the Syrian president from power had been the stated goal of former US president Barack Obama’s administration, but Trump’s election has muddied the US stance.
Trump has said that defeating the Islamic State group is Washington’s top priority in the region and that Washington would be narrowly focused on US interests.
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