GENEVA: Syria peace talks due to start this week in Geneva are based on the broad mandate of a UN resolution that asks the UN mediator to hold talks on a “political transition process”, an official involved in the talks said on Tuesday.
Last week the United Nations appeared to back away from using the phrase “political transition”, which is understood by the opposition to mean a removal of President Bashar al Assad or at least an erosion of his powers.
Michael Contet, chief of staff of Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, told a regular UN briefing that de Mistura was putting the final touches to arrangements for the talks.
“The invitations as well as the substantive agenda for the negotiations are all based on the wide scope of Security Council resolutions, in particular (UN Security Council Resolution) 2254, which is our main guidance in this process.
“The second operative paragraph of 2254 requests the special envoy to convene formal negotiations on the political transition process.”
The talks would revolve around three sets of issues, which 2254 mandates de Mistura to mediate on: establishment of a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance; a process for drafting a new constitution; and free and fair elections under UN supervision.
Syrian government forces on Monday escalated their bombing campaign around Damascus, raining shells down on rebel territory and sending out a “bloody message” just days before renewed peace talks in Geneva.
Representatives from the opposition and of President Bashar al Assad’s regime are to head to Switzerland on Thursday for another attempt to end their country’s brutal six-year war.
But regime forces on Monday escalated their bombing of the edges of the capital, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activists on the ground.
“The toll in regime air strikes on (northern rebel district of Damascus) Barzeh has increased to seven people, including a woman and child,” the Observatory said, adding that 12 more had been wounded.
The Britain-based monitor said rockets also hit the northeastern opposition-controlled neighbourhood of Qabun.
Rebels and regime forces reached a local ceasefire in Qabun in 2014, but violence erupted there at the weekend when 16 people were killed in government rocket fire on a funeral.
“This is the third day of bombardment — rockets, artillery, mortars and air strikes,” said media activist Hamza Abbas, speaking to AFP via Internet from Qabun, where he said he could hear non-stop shelling. — AFP
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