The twin developments – the opposition conference in Saudi Arabia and the truce inside Syria – occurred as world leaders prepared to meet in NY in the coming days to discuss possible ways to end a civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created millions of refugees and empowered jihadist groups like the Islamic State.
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Several of the opposition’s main factions attended the conference, including the Western-backed National Coalition, one of the main opposition groups.
The council includes 11 members from Syria’s armed rebel groups, nine from the Syrian National Coalition – including its leader Khalid Khoja, eight independents and five from the National Co-ordination Body, an activist bloc dismissed by the Free Syrian Army as an extension of Assad’s government. It also calls for an all-inclusive, democratic civic state.
Russia, the US and the United Nations will hold three-way talks in Geneva on Friday as part of their preparations for a new round of talks in Vienna following meetings that brought both Saudi Arabia and Iran to the table for the first time.
In a new development on Thursday, Syrian Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham withdrew from the talks, citing under-representation at the gathering.
Security was exceptionally tight at the hotel venue in the Saudi capital Thursday. The hotel entrance was blocked off to the general public by armored vehicles and dozens of security guards were stationed outside the building and in the lobby. Security guards and police kept visitors out of the hotel.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country has been among Assad’s strongest backers, said last month that peace talks for Syria can not go ahead until all parties involved agree on which groups should be listed as terrorists and which are legitimate opposition.
More than 100 representatives from the Syrian opposition groups got together in order to get united against the Assad regime.
Other factions claimed Ahrar al-Sham still signed off on the closing statement, but this is being disputed by some other groups.
PARIS U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that Saudi-led talks to try to unite Syria’s opposition groups had made progress.
He said that if the goal is a quick end to the war, “and most of the world is saying now they want to see an end to this crisis”, then pressure must be placed “on those countries that, you know them, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar”.
“Or he will have to leave through fighting, because the Syrian people refuse to allow this regime and person to stay in power”.
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The comments drew a sharp response from Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi in Damascus, who called al-Jubeir’s statements a “farce”.
