Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Syrian government 'agrees to Eid al-Adha ceasefire'


An old woman walks through the northern Syrian city of Aleppo (24 October 2012)  
Lakhdar Brahimi did not give a precise time period for the ceasefire
The UN's envoy to Syria says President Bashar al-Assad's government has agreed to abide by a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Cairo that most opposition factions had also said they would observe any ceasefire.
The government said it would make its final decision on Thursday.
Mr Brahimi said he hoped to use the lull in fighting over Eid al-Adha, which starts on Friday, to "discuss a longer and more effective ceasefire".
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice, is celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as proof of obedience to God.
'Modest agreement' Mr Brahimi has travelled across the Middle East over the past two weeks in an effort to persuade the Syrian government and opposition, as well as their respective backers, to agree to his proposal for a ceasefire to "allow a political process to develop".
After holding talks on Wednesday with the Arab League's Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi, Mr Brahimi announced that the Syrian government had expressed its support.
"After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a ceasefire during the Eid," he told a news conference.
"Other factions in Syria that we were able to contact - heads of fighting groups - most of them also agree on the principle of the ceasefire."
Mr Brahimi did not give a precise time period for the truce.
The BBC's Tim Whewell reports from Marea, where the threat of helicopters distract funeral-goers
"If this modest agreement is successful we hope to build on it, so that we can talk a longer and more effective ceasefire. This ceasefire should be part of the political operation," the Algerian diplomat added.
The Syrian foreign ministry subsequently announced that the government would make a final decision on Thursday about the truce.
"The army command is studying the cessation of military operations during the Eid holiday, and the final decision will be taken tomorrow," a statement said.
A ceasefire negotiated in April by Mr Brahimi's predecessor, Kofi Annan, broke down within days and was followed by an escalation in the conflict.
Human rights and opposition activists estimate that more than 30,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.

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