France, Germany Welcome Deployment of U.N. Observers to Syria
France and German welcomed the decision by the United Nations Security Council on Saturday to send U.N. observers to monitor the fragile ceasefire in Syria, warning Damascus to end the violence there.
The two countries reacted after the Council unanimously passed a resolution allowing a 300-strong ceasefire monitoring mission in Syria despite the strong doubts of many Western nations.
And both France and Germany warned the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad that this was its last chance to end the violence.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe called for the rapid deployment of 300 U.N. observers to Syria to monitor the fragile ceasefire there after the Security Council on Saturday approved the team.
The observers should be "deployed rapidly and without hindrance" Juppe said in a statement after the United Nations Security Council vote.
He hoped the mission would change situation on the ground and bring an end to the "savage repression to which the Syrian people have been subjected for more than a year," the statement added.
"The missions will also have to ensure full respect by the Syrian regime of the freedom to demonstrate, which is an obligation, contained in the plan," he added, referring to the peace plan drawn up by international envoy Kofi Annan.
"If we are forced to note once more that the Syrian regime has not respected its obligations, the Security Council will have to examine, as quickly as possible, every option," he added.
In a separate statement, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also welcomed the mission.
"With this mission... the international community now has a means of controlling the situation in Syria," he said.
"The time for ruses and little tactical games is over," he added.
"More than ever it is time for the regime of Assad to end the violence unconditionally across the country so the ceasefire can be entirely respected," he said.
He too called for the mission to be started as soon as possible.
Under U.N. resolution 2043, the unarmed military observers will be sent for an initial period of 90 days if U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon decides it is safe for them to go.
The council has already approved an advanced mission, but several western envoys stressed the dangers of sending unarmed monitors to Syria where violence has not halted since a cessation of hostilities started on April 12.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/37631 |