United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the fall of the Assad regime in Syria is a source of hope in the Middle East, and called for a smooth political transition that respects the rights of minorities.
“The United Nations is committed to supporting a smooth transition of power through an inclusive political process in which the rights of all minorities are fully respected and paving the way for a united, sovereign Syria with full territorial integrity restored. I'm working on it.
“I have full confidence in the Syrian people to choose their own destiny,” he added in a meeting with South Africa's International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola on the sidelines of the G20 meeting on Wednesday. Ta.
Guterres said the Middle East is experiencing turmoil, including the tragedy of Palestinian suffering in Gaza.
“We are witnessing a reshaping of the Middle East with changes in power relations between the region's key actors, and an untold tragedy for the Palestinian people, whose right to self-determination is limited to their own state. “We must constantly be reminded of our rights,” he said.
“But we are also seeing some signs of hope. The signs of hope primarily come from the end of the Syrian dictatorship.”
Lamola said South Africa hopes that the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad will lead to an inclusive political process that will allow the Syrian people to find lasting peace.
“The Syrian crisis, which began nearly 15 years ago as part of the political wave known as the Arab Spring, has resulted in enormous loss of life, a major humanitarian crisis, and internal and international displacement.
“This crisis has been exacerbated by a lack of international consensus on the best solution and external involvement that further complicates the quest for peace.”
Gail Pederson, the UN special envoy for Syria, has warned that the transition spurred by the Islamic rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's overthrow of Assad risks a return to civil war if it is mismanaged. . Syria has endured nearly 14 years of civil war.
“My biggest concern is that the transition will create new contradictions that could lead to new civil wars and potentially new civil wars,” AFP quoted Pedersen as saying in Geneva. ” he said.
Lamola said he hopes the UN Security Council will rise to this moment and agree with the international community that stability requires a political process, not a military solution or intervention.
The Security Council is divided over Syria, as Russia, which has helped support the Assad regime, has repeatedly blocked calls for UN-mediated peace talks.
Ramola said the Security Council now “must work towards a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis, which, if left unresolved, could plunge the entire Middle East region into further political and economic turmoil.” There is,” he said.
He urged other countries not to exploit the current situation for their own geopolitical interests.
“Israel, in particular, must refrain from attacking Syria and give the Syrian people space and opportunity to escape the current situation.”
Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes against Syrian military facilities in recent days and moved soldiers into a demilitarized buffer zone in southern Syria. The government described the attack as a “defense mission” aimed at preventing weapons stockpiles from “falling into the hands of extremists.”
France and Germany also called on Israel not to jeopardize the possibility of a peaceful transfer of power in Syria.
Mr. Ramola stressed that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity must be respected in the light of international law and the United Nations Charter.
“We hope that the Syrian people will immediately begin an inclusive and Syrian-led dialogue that will lead to a peaceful transition and pave the way to a sustainable political solution that reflects the will of the Syrian people. ,” Lamola said.
