Syria News
The special envoy of the UN and Arab League to Syria, Kofi Annan, arrived in Damascus on his second visit to this country in an attempt to save his peace plan, which stipulates that a ceasefire was not respected. UN sources in the Syrian capital reported that Annan was greeted at the airport by Syrian Deputy Foreign Miqdat Faisal, and is scheduled to meet today with the owner of this portfolio, Walid al Mualem, and tomorrow with President Bashar Assad.Annan's visit comes after the Security Council yesterday condemned the UN in an emergency meeting of the killing last weekend in the town of al Haula in the central province of Homs, where more than one hundred people perished. The Security Council requested the Assad regime immediately cease the use of heavy weapons and the withdrawal of its troops from the cities, and the opening of an investigation.
The Damascus government has rejected any responsibility for the slaughter, while the opposition accuses government forces of having done so. The massacre in Al Haula has raised further doubts about the effectiveness of six-point plan proposed by Annan to end the violence in the country. This initiative provides, among other things, a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops from the cities, the release of political prisoners, the entry of humanitarian aid and the beginning of a dialogue between authorities and opposition.
Although the ceasefire has been in force since 12 April has been systematically violated by the parties. In the field, there are now nearly three hundred deployed UN observers to verify compliance with the plan. The mandate of the Monitoring Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) is ninety days and expires in July. This is the second visit to Syria from Annan, who traveled to this country for the first time on 10 March to meet with Assad and opponents.
