Thu, July 05, 2012
DAMASCUS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chief of the UN observation mission to Syria says his mission will be consolidated and will reinforce presence into regional team sites, adding that the escalation of violence to an unprecedented level has obstructed his mission's ability to observe and assist in local dialogue.
In a meeting with reporters Thursday, Maj-Gen Robert Mood said the establishment of "regional team sites" aims to give the mission more flexibility to effectively work on facilitating political dialogue in Syria, once the mission resumes after being halted last month due to the escalating violence.
"We are consolidating the mission to enable better support to the Syrian people in the coming days," Mood said, adding that "we will reinforce our presence into regional team sites to give us, once our operations resume, the flexibility to effectively work on facilitating political dialogue and stability projects."
"In the next week we will consolidate our 8 local team site locations into regional ones," Mood said, adding that "the mission will relocate personnel and assets from Hama, Idlib and Tartous to boost our presence in other locations."
Mood stressed that "this consolidation will not affect the mission's current mandate or the total deployed personnel."
Mood made it clear that "Now, we are in a situation in which we have contacts and knowledge, but we have no ceasefire. So it is time to stop spreading ourselves out too thin and restructure in a way that will allow us once we resume our activists."
The UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) has announced the suspension of their filed mission in June, citing the unabated violence.
In his Thursday's remarks, Mood said that all parties on ground are still seeking objectives by military means. "More suffering creates more haltered." He said.
He said the situation on ground is becoming more violent, "and I'm particularly concerned about the civilians." He said civilians in Syria are suffering the violence which is escalating into a higher level.
Mood stressed that the situation on ground will not change " unless the people whose hands on triggers decide to take that decision."
He said the recently convened "action group" meeting in Geneva stressed that conditions conducive to a political settlement must now be put in place.
For that to happen, Mood said, the bloodshed must stop. He added that "the UNSMIS stands ready to support the parties in taking the needed steps towards a peaceful dialogue."
An action group comprising of some world powers met Saturday in Geneva and agreed on the need to establish a transitional government of national unity in Syria, with full executive powers. The transitional government would include members of the current government, as well as opposition figures. It would also oversee the drafting of a new constitution and elections.
The text of the new plan, however, does not clearly bar Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from taking part in the power transition.
Syrian foreign ministry said "Syria welcomes the final statement issued at the end of the conference, especially the substantial points that talked about commitment to the sovereignty, independence, safety and unity of the Syrian territories." However the opposition dismissed the Geneva meeting as a "farce," casting doubts about the prospects of the mission.
