NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Thursday that the situation in the country remains “deeply fragile,” with a ceasefire in Sweida under growing strain and political tensions on the rise.
He urged the international community to renew its efforts to protect civilians, ensure accountability, and support a Syrian-led political process that is capable of delivering lasting peace.
Marking the anniversary of the 2013 chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, carried out by the forces of former President Bashar Assad, Pedersen described the occasion as “a painful reminder of the suffering endured by Syrian civilians, and of the grave abuses and violations of international law that must never be repeated.”
He urged council members to help Syria “emerge from a dark past toward a brighter future.”
The July 19 ceasefire agreement in Sweida has so far prevented a return to open conflict following a spike in violence, Pedersen said, but he warned that the peace remains tenuous.
