Security Council Urges Syria to Meet Ceasefire Deadline

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday called on President Bashar al-Assad to keep a Thursday deadline for a complete ceasefire in the Syria conflict.

In a statement read by U.S. ambassador Susan Rice, the council backed a demand by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan for the Syrian government to make a "fundamental change of course" to end hostilities by 6:00 am Damascus time on Thursday.

After Annan appealed for new U.N. backing, Security Council members expressed "deep concern" at the Syrian government's failure to withdraw troops and guns from cities and "stressed the importance that the parties meet the deadline of April 12."

Council members also "underscored" Annan's statement that "the Syrian leadership should now seize the opportunity to make a fundamental change of course," Rice said.

"It is essential that the next 48 hours bring visible signs of immediate and indisputable change in the military posture of the government forces throughout the country" as set out in Annan's six-point plan.

Syria had originally agreed to pull troops and guns out of population zones by Tuesday. Annan said that despite the failure to keep the commitment it was still possible to reach a target of a complete ceasefire by Thursday.