Then, the USA and Russian Federation would begin intelligence sharing and targeting coordination, while Assad’s air and ground forces would no longer be permitted to target the al-Qaida-linked militant group of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front.
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Kerry told reporters, “We are announcing an arrangement that we think has the capability of sticking, but it’s dependent on people’s choices”.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, appeared with Kerry and Lavrov after the announcement to signal the United Nations backed the new agreement. “We will be watching closely the implementation of this understanding in the days ahead”.
The agreement freezes the current front lines and therefore the siege in place, sending a message that the government blockade of Aleppo has a stamp of global approval, said Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a resident of the rebel-held area.
Under the deal, fighting would halt across the country at sundown on Monday and Syria’s air force would stop attacking rebel-held areas.
Still, a senior official inside Ahrar al-Sham said rebels would nevertheless abide by the cease-fire to regroup after a punishing conflict with pro-government forces over Aleppo.
“We hope this will be the beginning of the end of the civilians’ ordeal”, Bassma Kodmani, a leading member of the opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, said. The announcement on Friday was delayed as Kerry and US negotiators consulted with officials in Washington.
The Pentagon previously argued that the goal of Russians operations – bolstering the forces of Moscow’s ally President Bashar al-Assad – was at odds with its focus on defeating IS.
Boris Johnson praised the deal reached by the United States and Russian Federation on the truce in Syria and hoped it would lead to the arrival of much-needed humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians.
Lavrov said that despite continuing mistrust, the two sides had developed five documents that would enable coordination of the fight against terrorism and a revival of Syria’s failed truce in an enhanced form. The Syrian government had no immediate comment, though both Kerry and Lavrov said Russian Federation had consulted Damascus and that Assad had given his assent.
The cease-fire agreement, if honored, will open corridors for the U.N.to reach Syrians in Aleppo with badly needed relief.
Years of fighting in the divided northern city – Syria’s biggest before the civil war – have killed thousands and left residents struggling to get food and water.
Kerry said if all sides follow the parameters of the plan, it could be a “turning point” for Syrians and lead to a possible political resolution.
Insurgents said they were planning a counter offensive.
Pro-regime forces have taken back a strategically important district on Aleppo’s southern outskirts, rolling back almost every gain from a month-long rebel offensive there. About 2,200 people, including some 700 civilians, have been killed there since July, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks violence in Syria. Russian Federation could, in theory, threaten to act against rebel groups that break the deal.
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Previous peace efforts have crumbled within weeks, with the United States accusing Assad’s forces of attacking opposition groups and civilians.
