A Syrian government offensive on rebel-held towns around Aleppo has thrown the UN brokered peace talks into chaos.
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A Syrian government offensive on rebel-held towns around Aleppo has thrown the UN brokered peace talks into chaos.
Syrian army threatens to encircle Aleppo as talks falter: https://t.co/GiYxFZ8d8s pic.twitter.com/BnFJCnhqmI
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 2, 2016
The Syrian opposition condemned the “massive acceleration” of government assaults backed by intense Russian air strikes.
Russian Warplanes Raid Militants' Centers to Back up Nubl & Al-Zahra Operation #Aleppo https://t.co/I7mO1DujZu pic.twitter.com/T7D2PZSbz2
— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) February 3, 2016
Pro-Assad forces appear determined to break the rebel stranglehold around two government held towns and cut rebel supply routes from Turkey to Aleppo.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says blocking arms supply routes is essential if the talks are to succeed.
#Lavrov: Russian airstrikes will not cease in Syria until we truly win over terrorist groups https://t.co/UP4l1gIG7I pic.twitter.com/2tTVua0S3b
— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) February 3, 2016
“A key component for this cease-fire to work is something that is now urgent; that is an end to trafficking across the Turkish-Syrian border, trafficking that provides supplies to the fighters,” he said.
UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura announces official start of #SyriaTalks https://t.co/btC8bCUbyq #GenevaTalks pic.twitter.com/n6VdkaK1DP
— Italia all'ONU (@ItMissionUNNY) February 1, 2016
As the diplomats in Geneva watch the fighting intensify the hopes for any kind of progress appears bleak with the UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in the middle of a confused and failing process.
Meet Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, head of Syria's delegation to Geneva talkshttps://t.co/NNUl68F4sW pic.twitter.com/8iIps6AfJK
— the Lemniscat (@theLemniscat) February 2, 2016
Bashar Al-Jaafari, the head of the Syrian government delegation, said: “We don’t know yet who would be our interlocutors, we don’t know yet how many delegations we will face, we don’t know yet the agenda, we don’t have fully the names of participants.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Moscow to stop the bombing during the peace process and said Washington “expects a cease fire.”
Shortly after arriving, the Syrian opposition threatened to pull out of the Geneva talks. https://t.co/INmsS0ZGMT pic.twitter.com/DMfowPo13H
— AJE News (@AJENews) January 31, 2016
Syrian opposition negotiators say they will not talk until the bombings cease, blockades are lifted and prisoners released.