US Secretary of State John Kerry, emerging late on Friday in Geneva from talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said the deal could provide a “turning point” in the conflict if the parties implemented it “in good faith”.
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On Friday night, Russian Federation and the United States announced that they have agreed to a deal meant to bring about a ceasefire between the Assad regime and the opposition groups which will come into effect on Monday, the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
Aleppo has been the center of violence in Syria in recent months where some 2,200 people, including some 700 civilians, have been killed since last July according to the Observatory, which tracks violence in Syria through a network of activists on the ground.
The United States and Russian Federation have hailed a breakthrough deal to put Syria’s peace process back on track, but some rebel factions say they doubt it will hold as clashes continue in Aleppo.
The US special envoy to Syria on Saturday appealed to rebels to commit to a landmark ceasefire deal brokered by Washington and Moscow, according to a letter seen by AFP.
In Aleppo, at least 46 civilians, including nine children, were killed in a bombardment of opposition-held areas.
All sides in the conflict would need to adhere to the nationwide truce, Kerry added, cautioning opposition fighters that if they did not separate from Nusra they would not be spared from air attacks.
The Russian and US delegations met for over 14 hours Friday to finalize the plan. If the ceasefire holds, the USA and Russian Federation will begin intelligence sharing and targeted coordination against ISIS and the group formerly known as the Nusra Front.
“Iran supports any ceasefire and peace plan to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria or limit it that involves a political solution. based on the Syrian people’s votes”, said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.
He said the Russian and U.S. air forces would carry out co-ordinated strikes against the two groups, and that in some areas, that excluded action by the Syrian air force. The announcement on Friday was delayed as Kerry and US negotiators consulted with officials in Washington.
But Mr Lavrov added that “the Syrian air force will be functional in other areas, outside those that we have singled out for Russian-American military co-operation”. On the other side, the USA will work to convince its allies among the opposition forces in Syria to stop associating with the Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda offshoot which the Assad regime has used to paint all opposition fighters as terrorists.
Key rebel backer Turkey said it was essential that the fighting stop and aid start flowing from day one of the ceasefire. “We saw the agreement via the media – we must receive an official copy”, Meslet said.
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All attacks and airstrikes would be stopped and unobstructed access allowed to besieged areas, including the northern city of Aleppo, Kerry said.
